Peacekeepers: A Red Alert 3 Story
by Lukeovich
Summary: Follow the Peacekeepers of 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion as they fight their way across Europe and beyond in a mission to rid the world of the Soviet Scourge.
1. Brighton Beach

**Peacekeepers: A Red Alert 3 Story**

Chaos everywhere, that was all anyone could see in the streets of Brighton. The Peacekeepers of the 1st Division were getting pounded by Soviet Dreadnaught fire and the best the Allied forces had to respond with were some outdated costal defense guns. And even the genius of Major Clarke and his engineer company had only been able to get them to fire a few salvos before enemy counter-fire had silenced them. Now, burning metal pyres was all that remained of the batteries.

From the shelter of a gutted hotel, Staff Sergeant Able huddled in misery with the rest of Bravo Company. Specifically, Bravo Company of the 4-32 Infantry battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division. What was left of them anyway. Most of the Brigade had been killed during the Soviets shelling of Brighton Beach.

The Soviets bombardment had also managed to land some ordnance in the middle of Brighton Beach Command leaving the defenders without any means of coordinating their efforts. Which meant that nearly an entire city was without any means to communicate with Allied High Command back in London. No reinforcements, no air support, not even artillery fire to break up landing troops. Able was about to take a peek outside when he heard one of the lookouts from the upper floors start hollering.

"I see 'em! I see the damn Commies! They're coming and they're coming strong!" The lookout yelled.

Across the room, 1st Lieutenant Jenners stood up and started directing troops in a hurried manner. "All right soldiers start creating a firing line across through this building and spread it over to the store next to us. Try not to bunch up. Those of you with the Javelin launchers take yourselves upstairs and try to take out their vehicles!"

He didn't need to repeat himself and the soldiers (Peacekeepers as the media back home had labeled them) moved into place with little trouble. The Lt gestured Able over to talk, and Able made his way across the rubble quick as he dared.

"Able, I need you to watch over the men in the next building, there's barely 50 of us and a fuck-ton of Reds headed our way. Keep 'em calm and get them out of there if you think the situation becomes untenable." The LT was looking through a blown out window at a horizon darkened by approaching Soviet landing craft.

"What? And just fucking run for it without linking back up sir?" Able was incredulous.

"The fight that's about to start is going to be some real nasty shit. Once it starts we won't have time to link back up. I'll be doing the same thing. So don't worry about leaving someone behind, just worry about getting men out to fight the Reds another day." Replied the LT.

"Roger sir." Said Able before making his way over to the store.

A Corporal and a few privates were busy setting up whatever rubble and furniture they could find and were stacking it up as a barrier. The rest were checking weapons and handing launchers and ammo to the Javelin soldiers who had managed to find a way up the broken staircase and into the upstairs rooms.

"Heya, Corporal…uh…" Able didn't recognize the shorter dark-skinned man in front of him and decided it was better to just go by rank.

The man turned around from his work and peered through his open helmet visor at Able. "Sergeant?"

"How long till you'll have this place set up?"

"Just a few more minutes. Me and a few other soldiers are using the last of the furniture as a barricade. That'll be the best we can get before the Commies start moving off the beaches." The Corporal hacked inside his helmet then gestured upstairs.

"We've got 6 soldiers with Javelins upstairs and about 12 of us Peacekeepers down here. The rest are with the LT in the hotel."

"Whose in charge up there?"

"That'd be me, sergeant. PFC Rane." Said a cheery voice over the intercom. Looking up Able saw a Peacekeeper waving down at him. Able waved him back into position then turned to the Corporal. "Is he any good?"

"Best damn shot I've ever seen with a Javelin, but he's a bit kooky in the head, if you know what I mean." Replied the Corporal.

Able nodded then looked out the window. The Soviet landing craft had nearly reached the shore. He frowned and looked up at the sky. "I'd kill my own mother right now if it meant we'd have fucking air support…"

The Corporal grinned. "Shit Sergeant, that just means more fun for us infantry. We don't need no goddamn airmen taking credit for saving England from the Commies. Bad enough hearing 'em go on before the war started."

Able chuckled before ducking behind a couch as a incoming rocket took a house less than 2 blocks away and turned it into ash. "The Reds aren't fucking around…" He muttered to himself. Looking back he saw the Corporal had finished and was taking up a firing position. Able got more comfortable before the inevitable assault.

The landing vessels had drawn up roughly 50 yards from the shoreline and were aiming what looked like some kind of huge cannon towards the city. As he watched the cannons started to launch men nearly 200 feet into the air. At the apex of their ascent a parachute flew open above their heads and lowered them slowly to the ground.

"That is the weirdest fucking landing I have ever seen…" muttered the Corporal next to Able.

The Soviet infantry fanned across the beaches and started to launch smoke grenades all over the Brighton waterfront. In a few seconds there was so much smoke that even with the built in filters in his visor, Able couldn't see more than 30 feet. He could still hear the Soviets though, the clank of the Flak Troopers' chains and the stomp of conscript boots. There was another noise to, a growling that left Able chilled to the bone.

"Uh Sergeant?" said an unsure PFC Rane through the helmet communication system. "I think we've got bears…"

"Bears? Private, what the fuck have you been smoking?" Able was worried more about the Soviets than some imaginary bear.

"I caught a glimpse of something big on the IR scope on the Javelin. And I used to hunt Grizzly's with my uncle back in Alaska, they sounded just like what I'm hearing now. Only…" Rane paused unwilling to finish.

"Only what?"

"These sound bigger, heavier…I dunno angrier even."

"Jesus Christ, Rane. So you're telling me that the Soviets have decided to unleash super-bears on us as a viable strategy? Do you fucking hear yourself?" Able didn't need his soldiers losing it just before the fight.

"Sergeant, I don't fuck around. There's bears out there and I can hear 'em. I don't care if you believe me or not." Rane sounded scared.

Able was about to tell Rane to shut the fuck up when a massive form wandered into the street in front of the store. One of the soldiers next to him screamed "HOLY FUCK!" before opening up on the shape.

Enemy fire tore from the smoke and forced the Peacekeepers into cover. Some were too slow and as Able took a quick count of the men he saw the Corporal had a bloody hole where his face would normally be. He dared a look over the barricade and saw the Soviets emerging from the smoke screen.

"OPEN FIRE!" He screamed.

The Soviets' crackle of rifle fire was drowned out by the boom of the Peacekeeper shotgun fire. Bursts of shot plucked the enemy from their feet and sent them flying back into the smoke.

In the midst of the enemy was a monster born of nightmares. It was a huge creature even by the standards of its kind. On all fours it still stood over 12 ft tall. Nearly its entire body was covered in heavy plated armour and from a massive helmet extended jaws that held teeth nearly as long as a man's forearm. Bright reds eyes shone from inside the eye sockets and locked onto Able position.

"Oh shit…" whispered a terrified Able.

And then all hell broke loose.

The bear turned its gaze towards Able and let loose a roar that froze him where he hid. Shotgun fire plucked at its armor and tore patches out of its fur. It roared again and charged the position and still Able couldn't move. The red eyes filled his vision as the beast bore down on his position.

Suddenly, there was a 'POP!' and the bear exploded into pink mist that rained down on the Soviets causing them to scatter in panic. Able slowly looked up and saw Rane giving him a exaggerated thumbs-up while a Javelin launcher smoked in his left hand.

"Is that how you hunt bears in Alaska?" Shouted Able over the com.

"Just the communist ones!" Rane joked.

Able shook his head before turning back to the fight. He popped out of cover and fired a few rounds into the approaching Soviet troops. He saw one go down having lost half his head to a shotgun slug. His men were doing well, the narrow approaches had forced the Soviets to bunch together and made the approach a killing ground for the Peacekeeper weaponry. But for the Peacekeepers in the hotel the fight was not going as well.

The Soviets had managed to swarm their way up to the hotel and were slowly driving out the defenders. Dots of fire sailed through the air and ignited several Peacekeepers taking cover behind a staircase. They stumbled into the open howling in agony before the Soviets cut them down. Able tried reaching the LT over the com but there was only static.

Several Flak troopers moved in front of the hotel and fired a series of shells deep into the structure. The hotel shook and lurched off towards one side. Another volley caused the structure to shatter. The remaining Peacekeepers inside screamed in impotent rage as they were crushed in falling wreckage.

"Goddamn bastards." Whispered Able to himself. But there was no time to avenge the dead, the remaining men from Bravo Company were about to be the focus of a few hundred Soviet conscripts. "Rane, get your men together and get the hell out of here! We'll provide covering fire, regroup at division HQ!"

Rane started to protest. "Retreat sergeant? We don't…"

"Shut the fuck up Rane!" Howled Able "Get your men out of here now, there's no point in getting ourselves killed for a fucking building!"

Rane didn't answer, just tapped his com twice to signify understanding. He wasn't happy, but Able had bigger things to worry about than what one soldier thought about his decision.

"Alright men, we're pulling out!" Able shouted over the com system. He was about to go into more detail when a droning noise began to drown out the sounds of combat. Able turned his eyes upward and what he saw made him turn white as a ghost.

They were massive airships, each easily the size of a Assault destroyer and much more heavily armed. On the front of each of the craft was emblazoned a demon's face grinning in horrific glee as if reveling in the carnage that had been and would be inflicted on the free world.

"KIROVS!" Screamed Able. The rest of the men didn't need to listen to anything else, the destructive power of the Kirov Bomber had been broadcast over American television long enough for everyone to know what they were capable of. The men of Bravo Company broke from cover and ran faster than any had run before in their lives.

As they ran Brighton was incinerated. 500 kilo bombs fell like rain from the Kirov's bays obliterating the beach and any remaining Allied positions along the shore. The Soviet forces that had failed to advance far enough into the city were also annihilated.

Able was leading the rest of Bravo Company, when he heard Rane's voice calling from the rear of the group. "Sergeant! We've got an abandoned IFV over here, good condition too!"

"Get it running! Those Kirov's are coming around for another run!" Yelled Able.

Rane poked his head out of the IFV's drivers side compartment. "Already done sergeant! She's jacked up and good to go!"

Able made sure the rest of Bravo Company made it aboard the IFV before jumping on. Just as he leapt inside he saw the Kirov's beginning their second run. "GO! GO! GO!" He screamed over the com.

Rane didn't need any further encouragement, he hit the gas with an enthusiasm that sent the rest of the passengers bouncing around the IFV's interior. They spent several tense minutes as Rane swerved and jumped through the broken streets of Brighton. Then with a sudden lurch, the IFV slammed to a halt sending men and equipment careening to the front of the passenger compartment.

"Uh, sergeant…You might want to see this." Rane spoke quietly as if in shock.

Able made his way to the front ready to chew Rane out for being a pain in the ass when he spotted what the private had wanted him to see. It was Division HQ. It was destroyed, completely. The buildings that had served as HQ were now reduced to smoldering wrecks.

"We're fucked…" whispered a visibly shaken Rane. "We've got no communication, no backup, no support, and now no one else in our unit…"

Able was unable to reply. They were it, the last surviving soldiers of the 1st Division. He stepped out of the IFV and walked to the structure that used to be HQ. The Soviets had won. It was barely a month since America had joined the war and now the Soviets had destroyed the best-equipped and trained expeditionary force the U.S. military had to offer. There truly was no stopping the scourge of Communism. The sound of cheering cut through Able's despair and he turned to look at what had caused such elation among his men.

Overhead a Kirov fell from the sky. It was on fire and as it fell small explosions tore the craft apart. Around the other Kirovs flew small blue arrows shooting bursts of fire that tore chunks of armor from the larger craft. It took Able a minute to realize what he was seeing, he hollered with joy.

"It's the goddamn air force! We've finally got air support! We're fucking saved!"

The next few hours we're spent watching the air force tear apart the Soviet forces before fresh Allied ground troops moved in to retake the beaches. It took nearly 3 hours of fighting, but Bravo Company would not be a part of that action, down to 13 men and one IFV they were relieved and sent to the outskirts for some rest. Able had just appropriated a case of MRE's and was distributing them when he received a message that he was about to receive a guest.

"Who is it?" He asked the soldier operating the radio.

"Dunno, but he said they'd be here about…" The soldier paused to look at his watch. "…Now."

At that moment an IFV flanked by two Guardian tanks pulled up to Able's battered unit and a helmet poked out of the top hatch. "There a Sergeant Able around?" said a woman's voice.

"That would be the grouchy-looking bastard slouched on our MREs!" Quipped Rane.

Able stared daggers at him, but turned to the IFV. "Yeah?"

"The Commander wants to talk to you, he says to meet him by the back hatch." A gloved hand popped out by the helmet and gestured to the back of the IFV. Able shrugged in indifference and headed round. He didn't know what this commander wanted and he really didn't care. He was tired, sore, and his unit had suffered nearly 95 percent casualties. All Able wanted to do was curl up into a corner and sleep forever.

He reached the back of the IFV before he noticed that the commander wasn't outside, instead sitting perched on a fold-out seat inside the vehicle with a com-set on his head. There was little light inside the vehicle and Abe was unable to make out his face. He was surrounded by maps, maps with unit icons, and even monitors with maps on them. Able had to pound his shotgun on the vehicle to get his attention. The commander jumped in surprise before realizing what had happened.

"Good you're here. I wanted to congratulate you on surviving this attack. We dealt the Soviets a bloody nose today, probably killed off any further attempts of invading England. But they still have Europe and we still have to take it back." The commander frowned then turned back to the monitors. "Given the high rate of casualties in the Allied units today I'd recommend retiring all of you for rest and refit…"

"I'm sensing a 'but' sir." said Able.

"But Allied High Command in its infinite wisdom has decided that the nature of this conflict prevents any immediate R&R. So instead of fresh units, I get to use old units and grind them into dust." The commander paused, looking at the 12 men left along with Able. "This war will be terrible, so terrible…I've been given authority to re-organize and redistribute the 1st as I see fit. The 4-32 will be absorbing the remnants of the other units. Any shortages will be made up with foreign troops. We will no longer be the 1st Infantry Division, we will be the 1st Allied Army. A true conglomeration of freedom against the oppression of Communism."

"That's nice sir, but why are you telling me this? I'm a SSG in charge of what's left of a company. I'm nobody."

"I'm telling you because I'm an placing you in charge of the first American unit to be combined with foreign soldiers, you'll get them next week. Congratulations, you're now a company commander in 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion. I'm sure you'll come up with a better name. Promote who you need to once you get everyone. I'll approve all your choices."

"Yes sir."

"Then if there's no more questions, I need to get back to directing the war, I have half the army out there scattered and without communications. My intelligence officer is throwing a fit because I haven't been answering her messages. Good luck captain."

Able gave a quick salute, then closed the rear hatch for the commander. The vehicles trundled off through the city remains throwing up clouds of dust and ash that obscured Able's vision. Rane walked up: shotgun in one arm, MRE bag in the other, and whatever food that had been in the MRE crammed into his mouth.

"So what the commander want sergeant?" Rane managed to say through a mouthful of beef patty.

"It's sir now, I've been promoted." replied Able, turning around. "And I need a new squad leader for my Javelin troops. So you're my new sergeant, congratulations."

Rane's face split in half with the biggest grin Able had ever seen. "No Shit? Aw sir, We should celebrate! Hang on…" Rane shifted his shotgun in order to get a free hand into his MRE. "Damn it." He muttered as he managed to spill the whole thing on the ground. A bemused Able watched as Rane dug around a mess of plastic wrappers and paper until the newly promoted sergeant gave a grunt of satisfaction.

"Here they are!" Rane stood up with a bright yellow package. "Peanut M&M's sir, want a few?"

Able chuckled but shook his head. "Not today sergeant. I have a few things I need to take care of. And you should get the camp set up before enjoying the candy. I have a feeling we'll need to get all the rest we can before next week."

Rane's grin never faltered as he saluted and headed back to the other soldiers. Able looked across the burning wreck that had been Brighton while the survivors of Bravo Company started settling down for the night. Able sighed in resignation then started settling in himself. Looked like the Peacekeepers were going to fight another day after all.


	2. Heidelberg

**Peacekeepers: Heidelberg**

"Twenty minutes until landing." Said the irritatingly calm computer voice over the loudspeaker.

It was 0500.

Cursing and groaning, the men of Bravo Company 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion began to ready their gear and themselves for combat. Rousing himself from a 2-hour nap, Sgt. Rane began a quick check of his equipment. The weapon (as always) was immaculate, his armor was strapped on correctly and even his helmets vision and communication systems were functioning perfectly for once.

Rane looked around the interior of the hovercraft as the rest of Bravo Company's Javelin squads began sorting themselves into rows designated by yellow strips painted on the floor. There was no need for Rane to shout instructions, the Company had been drilling for this exercise so often in the last two weeks that they could do a landing in their sleep.

"Ten minutes until landing." Droned the artificial voice again.

"Bravo-J, can you read me?" Rane heard Captain Able's voice over the helmet's com system. Able was in another hovercraft with the newest members of Bravo Company.

"I read you Bravo-L, you sound harried. The armour giving you trouble again?" Rane deliberately mispronounced the British spelling of armor to annoy Able. The recent reorganization of the Allied forces meant that no one unit was comprised solely of one nationality or profession. That meant units such as the 1-01 had tankers, infantry, scout units, and even engineers all gathered into units as small as companies.

"You're fucking hilarious Bravo-J. I need a status update on your troops disposition." Replied Able.

"We are green, Bravo-L. Just drop the ramps and we'll take the city."

"Roger Bravo-J, Bravo-L out."

Rane turned his attention back to the men just as the loudspeaker toned in with the update. One minute left. "Alright one last weapons check, then get ready to move! I don't know how heavy the defenses are but save your Javelins for vehicles and weapon emplacements only! No trying to frag a bunch of conscripts, we've got the regular Peacekeepers for that!"

The troops cheered in response just as the 10 second warning lights went off. Suddenly the ramp fell and the bright early morning sunlight filled Rane's view.

"GO! GO! GO!" He screamed over the com. The Javelin troopers leapt out of the confines of the hovercraft as its mounted .50 caliber gun provided covering fire. An unending stream of bullets tore possible Soviet positions into shreds while Vindicator bombers dropped their deadly payloads onto defensive structures disabling them before they could inflict casualties on the Allied forces.

As he disembarked, Rane quickly looked to his left and right as he kept pace with his troops' advance. All along the river landings dozens of hovercraft were disgorging their passengers, a veritable tide of Allied blue was pouring up the riverbanks and into Heidelberg.

"Sergeant! We've had minimal contact with Soviet forces! No losses on our side and we're pushing deeper into the city, but there's no sign of any enemy fortifications!" Rane acknowledged the report with a quick tap on his comm then passed it on to Able.

"Don't get ahead of our own troops! Last thing I want is to get some of my soldiers cut off and surrounded by a bunch of fucking reds!" Able responded.

"Roger, I'll make sure they pace themselves. Guess that new commander cleared out the defenses better than we…" The deep thud of cannon fire caused Rane to pause in mid sentence. Looking to the left, he spotted two of the new Guardian Tanks now part of the 1-01 systematically demolishing a disabled Soviet Tesla tower. Their shells tore deep into the supporting structure and sent it crashing into the ground while pieces of glass and wire rained onto the tanks.

"I swear to god those tankers like to blow up anything they can…" muttered Rane to no one in particular. Rane picked up his pace to keep up with the advance. A few bodies lined the streets, mostly Soviet but a few Allied soldiers were lay with them. _There were always a few fallen Allied soldiers, _reflected Rane.

"Attention all squads!" Able's voice came over the comm, overriding all other chatter. "The Commander has received intelligence that the Soviets are fielding Apocalypse Tanks! We've all had the briefings about these tanks so you know the rules of engagement for them. I'm repeating them again in case someone tries to be a hero: Do not engage an Apocalypse tank without armor support! Is that clear?"

It was less a question than a statement, and Rane sent back a quick affirmative before sending off the same message to his own men. There were too many Soviets for the Allied forces to be trying to act the part of a hero.

The Javelin sergeant finally caught up to one of the forward squads just as they finished clearing a Soviet sentry position. Huge holes belched smoke from where anti-armor missiles had burst through and ignited the interior. In a nearby brick ruin stood the squad responsible for the destruction; Rane alerted them over the comm so they wouldn't shoot him as he emerged from the smoke and waved over their leader, a Sergeant Ellias.

"Anything new to report?" Asked Rane as he ducked down behind a relatively intact stone wall.

"Nah, just took out a position here, but it was just a few conscripts with a sentry gun. We haven't encountered anything really heavy in the area at all. Which is good, I hate fighting Soviet Armor, its tough as shit to crack." chuckled the Sergeant.

"Kinda spooky, not seeing a single tank out hear after all the briefs we were given." Replied Rane.

"Oh they're out here, don't you worry about that." Replied Ellias. "They just seem to be further up on the battle line. I can hear 'em slugging it out with our tanks. And every so often a Vindicator wing will fly over-head and drop a shit-ton of ordnance on something. I'm guessing its those Apocalypse tanks we were warned about."

Rane started comparing the briefs to something less than flattering when his comm started beeping.

"Bravo-J, this is Bravo-L. I've got a group of tanks and Peacekeepers coming up behind you. They should arrive in the next few minutes so don't shoot them." said Captain Able. "I hear you haven't had much enemy contact, so I sent them to help you in flanking the Soviet lines. They'll elaborate when you get there."

"Roger Bravo-L, any chance these were the same guys giving you a headache this morning?" Rane jested.

"Absolutely Bravo-J, have fun. Out." Able cut off the comm before Rane could shout an obscenity or three.

Shaking his head, Rane turned to Ellias to inform him of the new situation. Then the Allied reinforcements arrived: five Guardian Tanks and three squads of Peacekeepers. It was hardly what Rane would call 'reinforcements' but at least they would be able to deal with most threats the Soviets threw at them. The commander's hatch on the lead tank popped up and a head hidden behind a padded helmet, tinted goggles, and the biggest mustache Rane had ever seen in the military rose out of the opening and began looking around.

"I think he's looking for you Rane." said Ellias.

"No shit, guess its time to get down to business and figure out what Cpt. Able is after…"

Rane waved at the man before jogging over. The man looked down and removed his goggles, allowing him a better view of the approaching Javelin soldier.

"You must be the bloke that I was sent to link up with." He said over the comm, the tanks' engines drowned out normal means of communication. "I'm Lieutenant Brigham, in charge of these lovely looking ladies and deliverer of some damn good news." His accent was unmistakably British, and Rane briefly wondered why before remembering that most of the American armor lost had been replaced by the United Kingdom.

"Sgt. Rane, sir, in charge of Bravo Co's Javelin Squads. Cpt. Able said you had more information on what we're about to do."

"Ah…right. So I do, actually I gave that stuff to Macduff and he is…" At this Brigham started talking into his com, the tank directly behind them moved around to the right side and another helmeted head popped out of its command hatch. Brigham must have said something because the figure pulled itself out of the hatch and walked over towards Rane.

Lt Brigham gestured at the newcomer. "Sgt. Rane, this is Lieutenant Macduff. He's the one who'll be enlightening you on our new objectives."

Macduff removed his helmet and pulled a mini-map and memo out of a pocket and set them on the tank's hull. Rane got a good look at his face and was unable to stop himself from letting loose a surprised exclamation.

"Fuck! You two are twins!" He cried out in surprise.

The two tankers grinned at each other before Macduff spoke. "Not at all. We're not even the same nationality. But no one cares and they call us that anyway."

"Really?" said Rane unable to contain himself. "But you're practically identical!"

"That's mother nature for you, yank." Chortled Brigham. "But we can talk on this later. Macduff needs to let you in on the mission."

Rane was still amazed by their resemblance but managed to quell his curiosity. "What exactly is this mission?"

Macduff began. "Just before the assault, the Commander of the 1st Allied Army received reports that a high ranking Soviet commander was in Heidelberg. With a bit of digging from the British Intelligence agency it was confirmed and our Commander was given the green light to try and capture this fellow."

Rane whistled in surprise. "Damn, so we just got ourselves a high value target. This is going to be fucking tough…He'll have some serious protection."

Brigham interrupted. "Not quite, Allied High Command dispatched Commander Lissette to assist our Commander. Her forces should be arriving soon, and with them our Commander plans to throw everything he has at the Soviet Base in the city in order to draw forces away from the Soviet Commander…"

"Leaving him vulnerable to a quick smash and grab…" muttered Rane.

"Exactly!" Replied the grinning tankers in unison.

"Is there a target package for this guy or are we going off of word of mouth?" Rane asked.

Macduff fished out a beat up folder and handed it to him. "Everything you want to know is in there. His name is Oleg Vodnik and he is the commander of Soviet forces on the European front."

"I'll get my men together, brief them on the situation and let you know when we're ready to move out, gentlemen." Rane saluted then began barking orders to his Javelin soldiers over the radio.

It took nearly an hour for every squad to rally at Rane's position and another hour just to get them all updated. Once that was done, however, Rane was able to return to the 'Twins' who whooped with glee at the news and returned to their tanks. The Peacekeepers and Javelin soldiers were already positioned and the troops were able to set off towards their destination (guided by Lt. Brigham) with little incident.

After nearly an hour of creeping through the city, dodging firefights between the main Allied and Soviet forces, Brigham radioed that he could see the building where Oleg was supposedly located. Once it was pointed out, Rane could see that the Commander's plan had worked. There were only conscripts and Flak troopers around the red brick castle. No armor, not even air cover.

"The Soviets must be completely fooled!" stated Ellias with relish. The tankers and soldiers began to spread out and move cautiously while watching for enemy soldiers.

The caution saved them.

While crossing a cratered city square, Lt Brigham's tank _Virgin Queen_ had gotten debris jammed in one of the track and Rane was overseeing the attempt to clear it. The rest of the troops had spread out creating a defensive perimeter while the tanks moved to a clear line of sight. Macduff's tank _Empress Matilda _had just been positioned behind a broken monument when the building behind it exploded without warning. Broken glass and bricks zipped through the air denting the tank's armor and shredding two unlucky Javelin soldiers who had been walking next to it.

"GET DOWN!" Screamed Brigham over the comm and the soldiers scattered for cover. Rane ducked behind the immobile tank and glanced around the side to see the source of the explosion.

It was the biggest tank that Rane had ever seen, twice as tall and three times as long as the Guardian Tanks used by the Allies. A gold star containing a giant hammer and sickle adorned the turret upon which were two massive cannons; one would be more than enough to destroy an Allied vehicle outright.

It was an Apocalypse Tank and Rane had decided to shelter behind the one tank that was unable to move. They were going to die, he realized. They were going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. As if emphasizing the futility of their efforts, dozens of conscripts poured out from behind the Apocalypse followed by several men in hulking suits of armor. They stomped towards the Allied soldiers, each step driving a hole into the stone, carrying a mobile version of what was perhaps the most feared weapon in the Soviet Arsenal: the Tesla Coil.

Rane could see the armored men raise their arms, flashes of energy dancing out of their cannons to tear apart both masonry and men. Those Peacekeepers hit by the Tesla coils were instantly vaporized by the extreme amount of energy packed into each weapon. Even the tanks were not immune; one Guardian had its left track fused to its chassis; unable to move, it became the object of the Apocalypse's lethal attention.

Two shells shot from the monster's cannons, streaking across the battlefield and tearing clean through the disabled tank. The shells detonated directly behind it, tossing it nearly twenty feet into the air before it came crashing down onto a group of advancing conscripts.

The Allies had not been idle in the face of the threat, however, and the Peacekeepers of 1-01 were showing the Soviets why they were the Allies' best infantry. Even outnumbered two-to-one, the Peacekeepers and Javelin soldiers had gone on the offensive. The Peacekeeper squads pinned down the advancing Soviets while the Javelins let their anti-tank missiles fly towards the heavily armored Tesla Troopers.

Three were blown apart instantly, their smoking armored corpses reminding Rane of the tin cans that used to be issued before MRE's. Another had his arm blown off and flailed around screaming before another missile put him down permanently. The few conscripts and tesla troopers that survived the ferocity of the Peacekeeper assault quickly fled behind the protection of the Apocalypse tank.

The Allies had not ignored the threat posed by the Soviet juggernaut but it was proving difficult to handle. The average Soviet tank carried nearly thirty percent more armor than the Allied equivalent, reducing their speed but increasing the odds of surviving a direct hit. The Apocalypse tank was weighed down with enough armor to create an entire Guardian Tank (55 tons) and could absorb far more firepower than anything in the Allies' ground arsenal.

The Javelin missiles were simply bouncing off before they could detonate, while the Guardian shells barely scratched the surface of the titanic war machine. One tank took out its forward track, immobilizing it with a lucky shot, and in return the Soviet tank reduced it to molten slag with a single volley. Then slowly, surely, the Apocalypse's turret began to traverse towards the _Virgin Queen_ and Rane.

Rane turned white. "Holy fucking shit…" he managed to croak out as he saw the enormous barrels make their way to his position.

"Never fear yank! I brought a backup plan!" laughed Brigham as he emerged from the command hatch. He pounded a switch underneath the hatch's opening which caused an odd-looking gun to rise out of the rear of the turret. It focused on the Apocalypse and started shaking with an audible hum and Rane half expected it to unleash some kind of deadly energy; instead a small red light blinked out of the front and flashed quickly.

"THAT'S IT?!" Howled Rane in fury. "A FUCKING RED FLASHLIGHT! HOW IS THAT A BACKUP PLAN?!"

Lt Brigham declined an answer preferring to point upwards at a rapidly approaching aircraft. There was a horrific screech and Rane refocused his attention on the Apocalypse tank for an instant. Covered by cannon fire from the surviving Guardians, several Peacekeepers and a Javelin soldier had made their way to the damaged tank and managed to jam a launcher in the turret mechanism preventing it from traversing completely towards the immobile _Virgin Queen_. They scattered back towards their own troops while the impotent Apocalypse desperately tried to move backwards.

He looked back at the aircraft and managed to identify it as a Vindicator Bomber, the ground support aircraft of the Allied Air Force. They were equipped with weapons designed to crack open underground bunkers and hardened defenses and it was about to be dropped on one Soviet tank.

"If you haven't already I suggest you find some sort of cover…NOW!" Shouted Brigham over the comm. Allied tanks backed up as far as they could while Allied soldiers fled towards undamaged buildings. The lone Vindicator soared overhead and unleashed its payload.

Ten-thousand pounds of high-explosive ordnance impacted the Apocalypse, and Rane's world went white.

When he could finally see and hear again Rane stumbled out from behind the _Virgin Queen_ and was greeted with a scene of utter devastation. Where once had stood an entire city square now only rubble and craters remained. Of the Apocalypse tank there was no sign; the Vindicator had done its job admirably and now nothing but a handful of Soviet infantry stood between the 1-01 and victory.

Brigham re-emerged from the tank (now battered by shrapnel and debris) and looked down at Rane. "I signaled some friends with this targeting laser." Brigham gestured at the remains of the box with a grin. "All British command tanks are equipped with one." Rane could only nod mutely in shock.

He could have stood there in awe of the destruction for hours but Sgt. Ellias came up from behind and let loose a yell that broke Rane out of his reverie.

"Holy shit sir! That was the biggest fucking explosion I have ever seen in my entire fucking life!" he practically screamed.

"The day's not over yet, yanks!" said Macduff over the comm. "We still have a Soviet commander to capture. We need to get moving before they catch on to us!"

Rane gathered his wits and signaled the other Peacekeepers and Javelin soldiers to rally at his position. "The LT's right, we need to get up to that castle before the Soviet commander makes a run for it." He shouldered his weapon and motioned the other infantry to form up around the remaining tanks before moving out.

Their haste was unneeded. Stunned by the rapid assault and capture of Heidelberg by the Allies, most Soviet Forces surrendered without a fight. Those that resisted were neutralized with minimal casualties. The attack would later be regarded as one of the finest planned and executed Allied assaults in the entire war.

For Rane and the rest of Bravo Company 1-01 it was enough that they were able to capture Commander Oleg Vodnik and his entire command staff with a simple request for surrender. They would guard him for the next four hours until the rest of the Allied forces caught up with their advance.

Later that night Rane was sharing a pack of carefully-horded Skittles with the 'Twins' over a few war stories when Cpt. Able made his first appearance of the day. He had finally escaped the new duties that came with being an officer and wanted to congratulate his men.

"Good job today soldiers! We've taken back Heidelberg and captured a Soviet commander!" The men cheered Able and raised canteens in salute. Able calmed them down before continuing. "But we have no time to rest on our laurels. Allied High Command just sent our Commander a new assignment. In two days we need to be ready to move."

At this the Twins groaned in despair. They would be up early tomorrow ensuring their tanks were ready for transportation. Rane grimaced then stood up to ask a question. "Sir, where the hell are we fighting now? Seems like we have plenty of Soviets in front of us that need killing, why move elsewhere?"

"I'd agree with you if we were fighting the Soviets." That got everyone's attention. "It seems that while we were dealing with the Commies a new force, 'The Empire of the Rising Sun' decided to move in and test our resolve. This 'Empire' has taken Gibraltar and now we need to take it back. The Commander was picked as the best choice and he selected the men of 1-01 to help him do it!"

The mood in the battalion was upbeat despite the news of more fighting yet to come. The Twins got up and headed towards their vehicles, grumbling about the amount of work they had to take care of, while Rane finished off his meal. He leaned back and looked up at the night sky; too bad there'd be no time for a break. He'd heard Germany had interesting cuisine.

Looked like the Peacekeepers were going to fight another day after all.


	3. Gibraltar

**Peacekeepers: Gibraltar**

"So what are we dealing with sir?" Sighed CPT Able as he reclined back into his bolted-down leather chair provided to him by the commander of the transport ship he was currently on. On a monitor in front of him, Able could see the harried face of the Field Commander of the 1st Allied Army…or to be honest Able thought he could see his face. The commander had a habit of being in the middle of some new strategy or plan whenever he called to confer with his subordinates and for some reason he liked to do it with only the dim lights of computer screens illuminating his surroundings.

Not that that had ever been a problem before, the Commander's strategy so far had won the Allies back large portions of Europe from the forces of Communism. It was just the oddity of a man who had been hand-picked by President Ackerman and Field Marshal Bingham to lead the Allies to victory over the Soviets. Able did not envy him his responsibility.

The Commander shook his head as if to clear out the mental cobwebs that gather after too little sleep then brought up a small map of the island they were to liberate.

"This is Rock of Gibraltar, CPT Able. The gateway to the entire Mediterranean Sea and the best place to open a second front against the Soviets. But it seems that fate wanted to throw a monkey wrench into the works. During the liberation of Heidelberg, Allied High Command received an emergency signal from our forces stationed on Gibraltar, they were attacked by an unknown force utilizing advanced technologies."

"Uh-huh…" muttered Able as he jotted down some notes in his book.

"After some analysis on transmitted combat footage High Command identified the attackers as the Armed Forces of the Empire of the Rising Sun. Initial estimate place their forces at 7,000 infantry supported by 1,000 armored units."

"No air or naval support sir?" queried a curious Able. "They had to have some way of getting on that island."

"That's what has got our analysts all worked up back in London, it seems as if this Empire just showed up overnight and took out the garrison. High Command had no clue that the Empire had the ability or even infrastructure to deploy such a force. Worse it seems this is just one of many attacks that are happening all over the world." "Say again sir?"

"There are reports of attacks on several of the EU nations' colonies in the Pacific. The Philippines, Java, and Indochina have all fallen to the Empire and even Australia has suffered an invasion along its northern coast. They're holding out for now but they won't be able to hold out for long. Don't be surprised if the 1st Allied Army gets redeployed from Europe in order to deal with the Empire."

"Are we supposed to forget that the Soviets still control most of Eastern Europe?" Able muttered.

"No, High Command has decided on a policy of containment with the Soviets. Keep them where they are and deal with the new threat."

Able began to protest "All due respect sir but the Soviets…" But the Commander would have none of it.

"I appreciate your candor Captain Able, but there is no room for argument on this one. I answer to Field Marshal Bingham, who answers to the EU, and it is they who have determined this course of action. It doesn't matter if I like it or not only if I do as ordered same as you." He snapped. He stopped suddenly and sighed in despair.

"I told you at Brighton that this would be a terrible war. Sacrifices have been made and I suspect that many more will be demanded of us before the end. Until then we take our orders and we complete the mission."

"Yes sir."

"Now get your commanders up to speed and ready for the landing. Anything else you'll need on your landing will be provided by Lt Eva. She'll be coordinating with the commanders on the ground and relaying any pertinent intel to me."

With that, the video conference ended and Able was left to digest the rest of the information that had been downloaded to his computer. He immediately activated the map and examined the designated landing zones. There were four in all: two at the western end of the Gibraltar Airport and two at the southern tip of Europa Point. One for each battalion involved (the rest of the 1st Allied Army was still consolidating the gains from the fall of Heidelberg) that meant there would be a little over four-thousand Allied soldiers attempting to retake Gibralter from nearly twice that number. Granted they had support from the _USS Jackson_ (one of the brand new _Halsey_-class drone carriers) and her support fleet but that would only help so much. Eventually the ground-pounders would have to take the Rock the hard way and when…if they won, casualties would be horrendous.

Completely ignorant of any details regarding the invasion of Gibraltar, newly promoted Staff Sergeant Rane was busy trying not to bust out laughing at Lt Brigham's extreme discomfort.

"Ughh…disgraceful. That's what I am. An Englishman unable to weather the sea…" croaked the pale-faced tank commander as he fought to keep himself from vomiting up his breakfast. He tottered to nearby railings and emptied his guts over the side.

Rane grabbed the queasy Brigham before he fell into the sea. Macduff and Rane had brought the commander to the top deck with the hope that fresh air would ease his stomach. It wasn't working and Macduff had left to find something that might in his words: Cure any ills his British commander might have. Rane again was once again struck by the similarity between the two men and wondered what the chances were that two people could look so alike and yet be unrelated.

"Sir!" Came a strong accented voice from just behind Rane. "I have something that might help."

The bleary-eyed Brigham carefully turned to face his second in command and eyed the cup full of steaming liquid

"Is that…" He began not daring to finish.

"It is, drink up." Replied Macduff as he handed the cup to Brigham.

The beleaguered Brigham took the cup almost reverently and began to gently but quickly sip the contents down. The effect was almost instant. Brigham's face regained its color and he was able to stand upright and take a look around the area without trembling.

"I say, this is the invasion fleet then? I am impressed." He whistled. "There are nearly thirty ships in all and look!" He pointed towards a massive shape nearly a mile away. "Isn't that one of your yanks' Drone Carriers? I must say I'm quite amazed. Bigger than a dreadnought I think."

Rane leaned over to Macduff: "What the fuck did you give him? Drugs?"

Macduff chuckled and shook his head. "Just some good English tea that's all. A little taste of home."

"Indeed. All any Englishman needs is some tea and he can face anything life can throw at him!" Grinned a reinvigorated Brigham. "If I wasn't married I would propose to you right now Macduff. How did you find some tea all the way out here?"

"A natural talent for scrounging, that's all. When you come from the Appalachians you learn a thing or two about…" Here, Macduff paused and looked oddly at a group of anti-air hydrofoils approaching their transport ship.

"What's got the dolphins all riled up about those ships?" He asked.

Both Brigham and Rane looked over at the bizarre scene taking place about 1,000 feet away. All Allied convoys were assigned a contingent of dolphin escorts equipped with high powered sonic blasters. Officially they were there to warn of minefields and approaching submarines. But lately Allied Naval commanders had discovered that the dolphins' sonic blaster was powerful enough to crack open the hulls of enemy ships and had begun to utilize them accordingly. The dolphins seemed to enjoy it and it gave Allied shipping another means of countering Soviet submarine warfare.

For the dolphins guarding the Gibraltar invasion convoy the approaching formation of hydrofoils and ACVs was disturbing. Having been raised alongside Allied ships these newcomers "looked" correct, but when the dolphins' sonar bounced off of them they didn't "sound" right. Agitated they began to circle around the "wrong" vessels and several broke off to the larger ships in order to draw attention.

Suddenly the Allied vessels disappeared and turned into bright white shoebox like objects with bright red sunbursts and scattered among the allied convoy. Armor clad men leaned out of the sides and began to fire on the Allied ships.

"What the fuck!" Howled Rane as he leapt back from the railings in time to see a beam of energy cut apart the railing he was standing behind.

"It's the Empire!" Shouted Brigham over the sudden wail of alarms sounding throughout the fleet. Beams of energy flashed past and cut into the ship around him. Unperturbed he stood his ground, drew his sidearm and returned fire. Most of his shots missed but a few found their mark in the soldier who had originally fired at Rane. The shots failed to pierce his armor but they were enough to knock him out of the craft and into the water where the agitated dolphins recognized him as "wrong" and promptly beat him to death.

Pods of dolphins gave chase to the other craft and began to batter at their hulls with their sonic blasters. Riptide ACVs deployed from the rear of the transport vessels and joined in the hunt of the attacking transports.

The craft were lightly armored and aside from the occupants, unarmed. The fifty-caliber guns mounted on the ACVs made quick work of them. Any survivors were quickly dealt with by the dolphins with most simply dragged underwater until they drowned. The Allies did not escape unharmed however, several ACVs were shredded by the beam weapons carried by the Empire soldiers and one escorting Assault Destroyer (the _Dixmude) _was disabled by the ambush.

News of the attack was quickly radioed to Lt Eva who promptly informed the Commander who in turn notified Allied High Command where the news caused a firestorm of investigation and accusation amongst the various leaders. The most important point brought up was how an enemy military force was able to procure the IFF codes needed to approach an Allied fleet.

Arguments were made to immediately halt the fleet until the source of the leak could be found. After all if this upstart Empire could find the Allied IFF codes how soon until the Soviets also gained access to them. In the end it was decided the invasion should continue, even if the Empire was aware of the invasion they would have little time to prepare for it. There was only so much they could do to ready themselves for an assault especially with a drone carrier providing support.

Two hours later the fleet was cleared to continue with its mission while the _Dixmude_ was towed to a nearby Naval base with escorts. Early the next morning Gibraltar was seen on the horizon, klaxons were sounded and the men of 1-01 CAAB roused themselves from a long nap and loaded up on the ACVs for transport. The Sky Knight drones sent ahead to scout Gibraltar were unable to transmit back any useful information or footage interference of some kind was jamming their sensors. When they returned, flight crews found smaller almost insect sized robots latched onto the drones' antennas preventing any outbound signals.

Visual observation was used and it was determined that the eastern approach was entirely undefended. Cautiously optimistic, the 1st Allied Army Commander gave the go ahead for the landing. Rane and his Javelin soldiers were the first ashore where they found only abandoned defensive emplacements. The rest of the battalions fared no better. The airfield was found destroyed and full of wrecked aircraft of unique design. The Commander ordered the two battalions assigned to the airfield to hold fast and secure the wreckage while the 1-01 and its supporting battalion moved up.

Confused, the Allied ground forces advanced slowly up the point and took stock of the situation. It was the tankers of Charlie Company that were the first to witness the reason for the Empire's seeming abandonment of the eastern shore.

"SOVIETS!" Cried Macduff in horror. "How the hell are we supposed to take on the Empire and the Soviets!"

"No problem old chum!" Laughed Brigham. "We'll fight them in the same old way and we'll see them off in the same old way!"

Macduff made to reply but Brigham cut him off. "Besides, it looks like they're too busy with the Empire to worry about us."

As he surveyed the advancing Soviet forces, Macduff could see that his commander was right, despite the sheer number of Soviet forces pouring into the city, it was obvious that the battle was just beginning.

Soviet doctrine was brutally simple: find the enemy then crush him with overwhelming firepower and numbers. The assault on Gibraltar was a textbook example of such tactics. Supported by fifteen Dreadnaught Battleships, roughly twenty-thousand Soviet infantry and nearly two-thousand armored vehicles stormed the Empire's defenses.

The nearly eight-thousand Empire soldiers in the industrial park and along the Queensway put up a defense worthy of their Emperor. Neither side was willing to retreat from the battle and it quickly became a slaughter. But Soviet Doctrine was not used because it failed: the massive amount of firepower brought to bear on the Empire's troops decimated their emplacements. Casualties in the initial barrage were over 50%. Still it was not enough to defeat the Empire's troops and they returned fire with resolve unshaken.

Advanced beam weaponry tore through the unprotected Soviet conscripts and decimated the support walkers that provided covering fire. But they were just the sickle of the Soviet forces, the hammer had yet to fall.

As soon as the initial advance stalled, the Apocalypse tanks (covered by missile fire from the nearby Dreadnought Battleships) began to roll their way through the city. The beam weaponry that decimated the light infantry and walkers simply dissipated against the heavy armor of the monstrous battle tanks. The Empire responded with the remainder of their own armor but the artillery was quickly silenced by the Twinblade Helicopters that prowled the skies above the area and the few Empire tanks left proved ineffective against the Apocalypse tanks.

With the loss of their armor the remained of the Empire troops sold their lives as dearly as they could, they refused to surrender and the Soviets would accept none. In the 3 hours it took to subdue the Empire's soldiers the Soviets lost 200 Sickle walkers, 65 Hammer tanks, 86 Twinblade Attack Helicopters, 12 V4 launchers, and 6,000 killed or wounded infantry. Not a bad performance all-in-all Soviet advisors would reflect. (In contrast Allied High Command had estimated the assault would cost the 1st Allied Army 1,000 infantry killed or wounded and a loss of 100 vehicle losses).

At that point the Soviet Juggernaut turned its attention towards the entrenched Allied forces at Europa Point. A mass of armor and men turned slowly towards the Allies and halted. On the east flank of the Allied line a bewildered Macduff was unable to prevent an outburst over the company coms.

"The fuckers have us dead to rights! Why are they just sitting there!"

"At ease, lieutenant!" Snapped a clearly nervous Captain Able. "Keep the chatter down. I've just received word from the Commander: No firing on the Soviet forces! All company commanders acknowledge!"

A nervous muttering of rogers and acknowledges came in reply before the coms went silent. Leaving the men of Bravo company to watch the Soviets with quiet despair. No matter how good the average Allied soldier was trained it would amount to little when outnumbered nearly 3-to-1.

Fifty feet further up the line from the tanker's position, Rane poked his head out from behind a window and took a good look at the Soviet forces arrayed against them. He had never been good at getting a quick count but he could see that the Allied forces were far outnumbered by the Soviets. Granted the Allies Air Force could quickly claim the skies but it wouldn't be in time to stop their ground forces from being overrun.

"This is going to turn shitty real quick if we don't do something, sir." muttered Rane over the com to Able.

"Stand by Sergeant." Crackled Able's voice. "High Command apparently has been in dialogue with the EU leadership. There's been a diplomatic coup for our ambassadors' communication with the Kremlin."

"Roger sir…" Rane knew that tone of voice. It meant that Able had been forced to obey orders he hated. Which meant that he had argued for a withdrawal and had been overridden.

Hours passed with the two sides staring at each other form a distance of barely 100 yards. Macduff muttered a blasphemous joke over the company coms and the men laughed nervously but it wasn't enough to take their minds off of the staggering odds sitting right in front of them.

Suddenly the entire front line of the Soviet position began to move forward, all down the Allied line soldiers began to shout warnings and ready weapons. Rane shook with terror and he sighted his javelin at the advancing armor.

"Jesus Christ….I'm going to die." he thought as visions of Soviet tanks pulping his lifeless body under their treads whipped through his mind.

Then just as suddenly the Soviet line performed a quick one-eighty and began to head back down towards the landing sites they had come in on. CPT Able's voice burst over the com.

"Attention Bravo Company, as of 1535 today, Soviet and Allied diplomats successfully negotiated a non-aggression treaty in order to better deal with the immediate threat presented by the Empire of the Rising Sun. Stand down and return to the landing areas in order to prep for immediate redeployment. Further details will be given once we are loaded and underway. Bravo-L out."

Rane could only sit in shock as his mind digested the news. He was so out of it that it took him several seconds to notice that Macduff had leapt out of his tank and started singing and dancing with joy. The entire Allied line was cheering and crying in relief. Hours later on the landing craft Rane would ponder the day's events.

A non-aggression treaty against the worst enemy the free world had ever know was a bizarre enough occurrence but the Empire of the Rising Sun was a danger that threatened to overrun both sides if they were not dealt with swiftly. So the Peacekeepers of 1-01 would leave Europe and head to the Pacific in order to deal with this new threat.

Looked like the Peacekeepers were going to fight another day after all.


	4. Tokyo

**Peacekeepers: Tokyo Harbor**

_Tokyo, Koto Ward: 0145 Local Time_

Five arrow-shaped aircraft swooped silently over the glowing megalopolis. The roar of their jet engines drowned out by the thunderous cacophony of noise rising from the city spread out beneath them. A single large robotic eye positioned in their bellies quickly whirred and clicked as dozens of pictures were taken in seconds. In less than 40 minutes the five aircraft had mapped nearly 90 percent of the Empire of the Rising Sun's capital.

A unspoken command issued from over five thousand miles away turned the planes towards a large man-made island in the center of Tokyo's massive sea-port. Shining towers coated in the best nano-reactive armor available to the Empire shimmered in the glow of city lights as trillions upon trillions of microscopic robots formed an near-impenetrable shell around the 500 meter tall structures.

The robotic eyes clicked again, even faster than before intent on catching every detail of the structures before turning home. Then as quietly as they had arrived, the aircraft sped back over the inky darkness of the open ocean.

_15__th__ Allied Fleet, USS Edison Transport Ship. 189 miles from Tokyo: 0735 Local Time_

First Sergeant Rane pondered the oddity of the situation before him.The largest amphibious landing of the war was barely 48 hours away and yet the mood of the soldiers and sailors onboard was jovial…one might say even celebratory. Men and women were carousing on the decks, paychecks were lost and won in an instant, and a group of inventive sailors had even put together a makeshift karaoke machine. Perhaps he had been fighting too long, perhaps he had forgotten the simple pleasures in life. It had been five years since the Allies and Soviets had begun their campaign against the Empire of the Rising Sun but it felt like a lifetime ago to Rane.

The thump of boots drew Rane from his thoughts and he turned to see the newest commanders in the 1-01 CAAB, Major Brigham and Captain Macduff standing behind him with several parcels tucked under their arms. The grin on Macduff's face was huge and Rane couldn't help but grin back, the tank commander had an infectious good mood.

"What's in the packets Mac?" Asked Rane. Despite the difference in rank, The two men had fought alongside each other enough that official rank was only used in the most formal of situations.

"Its mail day!" Macduff replied with barely contained glee. "Me and MAJ Brigham here grabbed ours. We also took the liberty of getting yours as well, don't worry, I was discrete. The mail clerk never spotted me."

"Good, I'd hate to see you arrested for mail fraud." Chuckled Rane. "Well…what did I get?"

"It seems your parcel is the smallest…" At this Macduff held up a small 10"x12" packet with stamps all over it, then shook it violently, the unmistakable sound of candy rattling through the air. "But it might also be the best. Brigham here only got some photos and some dusty old history book."

Brigham sniffed with feigned annoyance. "It happens to be picture of my wife and children back in Portsmouth. And the book is actually a first edition of Dickens' _A Christmas Carol._ It's a priceless antique, I don't know how my wife afforded it."

"Its all the new money that's been pouring in since you got bumped up to second in command of the battalion, sir." Chuckled Rane. "If she spent that much on a book for you, imagine how much she's been blowing on your manor in the country."

"I'd rather not." Replied Brigham quickly, his normally impeccable mustache drooping in despair.

"Ah, cheer up sir." said Rane as he tore through his package and pulled out a pack of M&Ms.

"Oooh, Peanut Butter. That's new, can't wait to try 'em out."

"You're not going to bust them open now?" said Brigham and Macduff almost simultaneously.

"Nah, I'll wait till after the landing. That way I've got something to keep me going during all that fighting." muttered Rane.

"You don't need candy for that! You just need a good woman backing you up and sending you "notes of encouragement" during tours." Grinned Macduff as he took a quick glance of a photo he pulled out of his back pocket.

"See? She's a Flight Officer in the Indian Air Force, Darika Pilot. Met her during the Philippines Campaign and I'll get to visit her again during our next upcoming leave…" Macduff sighed and put the photo away.

"I have never met a woman who can cook curry like she can…" He said wistfully. Anyway, I'm sure she has a few friends that I could introduce you to if you're interested?"

"You know its been barely a month since my fiancée sent me a _'Dear John_' letter right?"

"And that's why you need to move on! Its not good to mope around and live in the past. You're a young American GI, shouldn't you be receiving the gratitude of the liberated maidens of the Free world?" said Macduff, only half-joking.

Once again Rane found himself unable to resist laughing at the tanker's jests. "I'm hardly a typical GI, asshole!" He replied laughing. "I'm the half-Inuit son of a Japanese immigrant, you don't see too many of my kind on the recruiting posters."

Even Brigham let himself chuckle out-loud at that response. Just then the ships intercom burst to life and the commander of the 1-01 CAAB began to issue commands.

"All First Sergeants and above report to the Conference Room for Mission Briefing. I say again: all First Sergeants and above report to the Conference room for Mission Briefing. I expect everyone here in the next five minutes."

"Guess that ends the festivities then chaps. Let's find out what new mission the Commander has for us now." said Brigham as he tucked his package into a cargo pocket and set off towards the upper decks.

"When did Able become such a humorless bastard?" muttered Macduff.

"Probably when he was promoted to Colonel and put in charge of a battalion that sees more combat than any other in the Allied Army." replied Rane as he turned to follow Brigham.

When all the required personnel had gathered in the Conference Room and had finally been quieted down 1-01 CAABs newest Commander, Colonel Able, stepped up to the podium at the front of the room and began to speak.

"Gentlemen, I don't want to take up to much of your remaining free time so I'll make this brief." At this he gestured at the display behind him and a 3D map of Tokyo and the surrounding area sprang up. He gestured again and the Display focused on a small man-made island inside the harbor.

"This is our primary target, the current location of the Empire's entire military command structure, including the Emperor himself. Current orders from High Command are to neutralize the threat these individuals represent by any means necessary."

At this the assembly began to murmur in excitement. The end of the war could be less than 48 hours away. Able waited a few minutes before continuing.

"I won't go into too much detail right now, I'll save that for the real pre-mission brief but this is the basic overview of _Operation: Forever Sets the Sun_. As most of you should know, the 1st Allied Army Commander's Island Hopping strategy has been a huge success. Roughly 95% of the Empire's Naval and Air Forces have been destroyed and Allied forces have been able to successfully conduct bombing raids on the Japanese Islands with little resistance."

"Our strategy for the mission will be in essence the same as the rest of this campaign. The main body of the assault will head for the city itself, capturing the immediate area and holding it against a counter-attack. Cutting off the island and preventing any escape." As Able spoke the map pulled out and showed blue arrows spreading into the city bypassing the island completely.

"One unit, or rather...one battalion will land on the island and secure the high value individuals and await extraction. Only when the HVI's are successfully removed from the island will High Command authorize those units on the mainland to withdraw. Due to our outstanding combat record the men of 1-01 CAAB will be entrusted with securing the island and the HVI's."

"To those who may have concerns, let me make this clear: there can be no retreat from Tokyo until all Empire High Command personnel have been successfully extracted. This mission cannot fail."

There was nervous muttering in the room. The mission began to sound less and less like an easy victory and more like a desperate gamble. Able began to dismiss them when a civilian woman walked into the room and spoke quietly to Colonel Able.

"Who the fuck is that?" Whispered Rane to Macduff.

"Don't know, looks like a corporate type. Maybe a defense contractor?" He replied.

Whoever she was, Colonel Able gestured for everyone to sit back down then moved away from the podium and allowed the woman to speak.

"Thank you Colonel." Said the woman before turning to the rest of the room. "I am Kelly Weaver, public spokesperson for FutureTechand I'd like to start off by extending my thanks and the thanks of the FutureTech Corporation for your efforts in protecting the free world."

Many of the men in the room shifted uncomfortably. Though her speech was the usual spiel given by any civilian the delivery was cold and mechanical. As if Ms. Weaver was merely reciting the niceties expected of her.

"As you know FutureTech is committed to bringing the Allies the best in weapons technology that can be brought in the free world. Sometimes though, we find ourselves outpaced or outmatched in the arms race by other nations. Now is one such time, the Empire possesses energy weapons and nanotechnology far in advance of anything previously thought possible. With your help we have recovered some of this technology from the battlefield and reversed engineered it."

A quick motion at the screen and several prototypes popped up. "As of now many are nearing completion and will begin production soon. But until then FutureTech wishes to continue the recovery of Empire technology and has coordinated with Allied High Command to further this goal."

More muttering from the crowd but no one complained, the prototypes displayed looked impressive. Ms. Weaver gestured at the map again and several flashing icons appeared over the city.

"These are the locations of several science facilities within the city. For those units with a marker inside their area of operations, a FutureTech representative will be sent to ensure a thorough collection of data and equipment from the sites. The more we learn about the Empire and its technology the better equipped we are to deal with any future threats to the Free world."

"In a show of good faith, FutureTech has decided to allow limited use of its latest satellite based artillery platform: the Athena Cannon. One ground-based target designator will be provided to each battalion involved in the operation."

Brigham whistled in amazement as the promotional video came up on the display. "Damned powerful laser."

"Our genetics division has also just completed its first run of its anti-infantry weaponry and will be issuing all 1000 units to the 1st Allied Army." She turned to the right entrance of the room and clapped once.

Rane's eyes nearly fell out of his head at what padded into the room. It was a dog, but unlike any dog he had ever seen. For one, circuitry spiraled through its head and back disappearing into the animals body. Its jaws had been augmented with some kind of cybernetic attachment that gave it a menacing look. The creature also happened to be at least four feet tall at the shoulder. It walked through the room and sat down next to the FutureTech spokeswomen before slumping down disinterestedly.

"This is Rolf, a first-generation cy-dog. Already superior to the original German Shepherd breed due to selective breeding and genetic enhancement our scientists have implanted a sonic system similar to the Allied Dolphin blaster. While not as lethal, the power of the projected blast is enough to knock an adult human male off his feet. His jaws have been enhanced to provide a bite that is ten times the strength of a normal German Shepherd. These dogs are faster, stronger, smarter, and more intelligent than any other military dog in service."

"I could see them being real useful in clearing out a structure or defensive emplacement." Said Alpha Company's Captain.

A ghost of a grin crossed Ms. Weaver's face. "Exactly what we had in mind."

At that point Able took control of the room again. "If Ms. Weaver has nothing else to add?" He looked at the FutureTech rep questioningly who shook her head. "Then you're all dismissed. Enjoy your last 12 hours of freedom before the attack."

The various commanders began to file out back to their own offices but before Rane could leave. Colonel Able pointed at him.

"Not you Rane, I have something special in mind for you." As Rane approached he noticed an old gleam of mischief in Able's eye.

"Shit…"He said to no one in particular as he headed over.

37 hours later, Bravo Company's Javelin NCO was watching his First Sergeant locked in a battle of wills and loosing.

"Perhaps if you just asked him to give you the launcher back…" Suggested SGT Iler.

"Shut the fuck up Iler! It's a goddamn dog! I'm not fucking asking a dog to give back one of my fucking Javelin Launchers!" Howled Rane in frustration.

The dog, Rolf, twitched his ears at the sound of his name and began to tighten his grip on the launcher, making sure to keep Rane in front of him at all times.

"C'mon Top, he's obviously playing. Just be nice and give him something else." Chuckled a Bravo Company soldier from behind Iler.

"FUCK YOU!" Bellowed Rane as he made an unsuccessful lunge for the launcher and tumbled into a nearby pile of empty ammo crates. Rolf's tail wagged in response.

Rane leapt out of the pile in a fury, grabbed an ammo crate and began swinging at the dog who easily evaded the blows which served to infuriate the 1SG even more. Just when Iler was sure Rane was about to shoot the dog, the warning sirens sounded sending men scrambling for equipment.

"1SG! it's the landing alert! We've got one hour to gear up and get loaded in the ACVs!" Yelled Iler over the noise.

Rane dropped the ammo box and pointed towards Rolf who seemed unperturbed by the commotion. "This isn't over fucker! I'll remember this!"

Rolf just wagged his tail again before walking over to Iler and depositing the Javelin Launcher at his feet. The dog looked back at Rane then trotted after the rest of Bravo Company. Rane walked over and snatched up the weapon inspecting it thoroughly before slinging it on his shoulder.

"Its not dented at least." Rane grumbled. "That cy-dog had better prove fucking useful or I'm leaving him on that island when we finish this."

"Roger 1SG." was all Iler said as he followed the fuming Rane to the ACV bay.

"Launch in 20 seconds!" Sounded the ACV driver over the com system.

"Bravo Company squads strap in and sound off!" Commanded Rane. When the roll call was complete Rane banged on the drivers hatch letting the crew know they were ready. Seconds later a lurch sent the men of Bravo Company bouncing in their seats.

"Lander-1 away!"

The 10 ACVs carrying the entirety of Bravo company formed up in a wedge and sped towards the island. Meanwhile the rest of 1-01 headed towards their own targets. Unlatching his harness to risk a peak through a nearby porthole, Rane could see the flashes of light and fire that indicated a naval battle that had been ongoing for the past 5 hours.

The ACV swerved hard to the right as a huge explosion detonated barely 50 feet from the craft and Rane had to brace himself in order to prevent himself flying across the interior. Though scattered the Empire's remaining fleet was still putting up one hell of a fight; the burnt out shells of several Allied assault destroyers provided a grim testament to their refusal to surrender.

"30 seconds to landing!" Sounded the Driver his statement punctuated by the dull thud of the ACV's roof mounted .50 cal cannon.

"Bravo!" Yelled Rane into the company com over the sound of the gunfire and turbofans. "We are the Widowmakers! Our enemy wants to fight so let's give him one!"

The 150 men of Bravo Company shouted assent as the ACVs slowed down and dropped the landing ramps. Screaming and firing the Allied soldiers advanced into the defenses of the Empire defenders. Earlier bombardments had destroyed their larger emplacements but there were still plenty of infantry left in the trench system. Energy bolts slashed through the night air shredding those Peacekeepers who failed to reach cover fast enough. Cursing Rane crouched behind the wreckage of a defense turret and took stock of the situation.

"Goddamn!" He cursed over the coms before an idea hit him. "SGT Iler, get the dogs up here. Let them loose at the trenches. Give them a head start and then have the rest of the company move after them. We'll give those Empire bastards a surprise!"

Iler thumped twice on his com to signal assent then rounded up the 20 dogs that had been assigned to Bravo company. Dark shapes padded quietly up around Rane and set off towards the trenches. A howl echoed from the darkness and suddenly the trenches ahead were filled with the screams of dying men.

"Charge!" He shouted over the coms and the men of Bravo jumped from cover and sprinted towards the enemy position. The next 30 minutes of fighting dissolved into a blur for Rane. Flashes of light and sound punctuated by the screams of wounded and dying were all he remembered. He saw corpses of men on both sides scattered throughout the trenches along with the bodies of a few dogs. At one point a hidden Empire solider jumped him from behind and managed to stick him in the shoulder with a knife. Rane was knocked face first into the muddy floor of the trench, blinded by debris he lashed out with a backwards kick. He heard a grunt as his foot contacted armor and he flipped over in time to see the enemy soldier tackled by a huge black blur. The soldier's scream of fear was cut off before it began and as Rane cleared his visor of the remaining mud he saw the head had been ripped off. Sitting next to the corpse with ears twitching and searching for noise was Rolf.

"Alright…" panted Rane as he check his wound. "I guess I won't leave you on the island after this is over."

He gathered up his equipment and slapped on a bandage before setting off after the rest of his men with Rolf following close behind.

For Major Brigham and the rest of Charlie Company, the landing had gone far easier. Provided infantry support by the Australians of Delta Company, they had smashed the shore defenses they had encountered and even annihilated two platoons of Empire "Tsunami" tanks. Two Guardians and one IFV had been lost, but overall their advance towards the HVIs had been relatively painless.

While Rane and his men had been battling their way through trenches, Brigham had lead the two companies very nearly to the doorstop of the entire command structure of the Empire of the Rising Sun.

"There it is." said the commander of Delta Company over the local coms. The structure that held the leaders of the Empire was deceptively simple. Though it easily towered over any comparable Western structure, they were of average height for the Empire. The design followed that of a medieval Japanese castle, though with a footprint many time larger. What made it special was the shimmering coat that coated the structure. Trillions of nano-bots formed a near impenetrable wall that kept anything from getting in or out.

There was a flash form one corner of the massive courtyard and Brigham could see the men of Delta work their way up to the entrance of the tower. Seconds later another flash came from the other side of the courtyard and a Canadian special forces squad darted towards the Australians.

"Damn…the towers buttoned up tight. Can't see any way into it, we'll need some high grade ordnance to bust through: Any chance of some air support to crack this egg?" Muttered Delta's Commander.

"Negative Delta-L. Air support is all tied up in assisting the mainland from getting overwhelmed. Your designated artillery support is en-route and Fleet is busy holding off the Empire's ships, the Shogun battleships are taking a toll on the 15th." Came Colonel Able's voice through a burst of static.

"Roger Eagle-1, Eagle-2 out." Responded Brigham, still watching the far end of the courtyard. "2nd Platoon take your armor over to Delta see if you can't give them a hand in cracking open that shield."

The platoon leader acknowledged the command and directed his tanks across the courtyard. The lead got halfway across when tremors began to tear the area apart. 2nd PLT leader managed to get out a surprised yelp before a giant hand burst out from the ground and threw his tank into the sea.

"Scatter!" Yelled Brigham. But it was too late. The courtyard exploded and a huge bipedal machine erupted into the night. It stood at nearly 6 stories tall and was fashioned in the likeness of a samurai warrior. Its white armor shone in the lights of Tokyo and in its head were two giant orbs that radiated energy. Two hands shot towards the earth and smashed the remaining survivors of 2nd Platoon and the war machine's eyes began to glow.

Brigham tried to shout a warning but Macduff reacted faster.

"All units scatter! Get out of the courtyard!" No one moved and in the seconds hesitation the machine's eyes discharged a blast of energy that obliterated the entire 3rd Platoon of Charlie Company.

"Shoot dammit! SHOOT!" Yelled Macduff again. This time the Allies reverted to their training and began to fire on the walker. Explosions blossomed over the entire vehicle and caused windows in the surrounding buildings to shatter. The walker stormed forward virtually untouched by the firepower leveled at it then slowly braced itself in a position that looked remarkably akin to a football player. Before anyone could react it charged: one-thousand tons of armor-plated death stormed its way through the Allied forces. Seeing the monster headed towards him Macduff screamed at his driver to reverse. The tank jerked back and Macduff saw a huge foot stomp on his former position. His gunner wrenched the turret around to keep track of the walker just in time to see a huge arm sweep the ground and send Major Brigham's tank hurtling towards the nano-shield.

"Damn sorry kids." was all the British Commander was able to get out.

A second later the tank impacted, crushing the vehicle and all inside it instantly. Triggered by the force of the impact every single shell inside the vehicle detonated at once blasting a ragged hole in the shield and wall behind it. The Allied infantry left unharmed by the walker's path of destruction charged into the breach and began the slow process of finding the HVI's.

"Son of a bitch! Where's our Athena Cannon?" Snarled Macduff.

"Eagle units, this is MJOLNIR-A, we've set up a firing position and are awaiting targeting coordinates." Said a business-like voice that echoed annoyingly over the speakers.

"About fucking time MJOLNIR-A! This is Charlie-2! Sending you a target now!" The voice at the other end began to mention other calls for fire on the island but Macduff cut him off. "This is a fucking priority target! Punch in the grid and take a shot or we are fucked!"

"Roger Charlie-1, adjusting satellite now. Watch out, its going to get hot down there." replied the voice, unperturbed by the urgency of the situation.

The remaining armor had continued firing on the behemoth with little effect and two more Guardians and an IFV had been lost since the charge. The thing had turned around and faced the tower, clearly tracking the progress of the infantry inside. Macduff could see its eye cannons charging again and realized in horror that the thing meant to hit them while still inside the building. His attempt to contact them was met with a burst of static so loud it forced the crew to remove their speaker sets.

"Uh…sir, you might want to have a look up…" said his gunner.

Macduff glanced out of the commander's periscope and saw the sky above the island had become lit up as if on fire. A hole looked as if it had been burned through the atmosphere and the tank commander could see a blob of light rapidly widening the hole.

"Mother of god…" He whispered in awe before coming to his senses and shutting the hatch and all nearby viewports.

"All units: close your screens and hang on! Incoming is going to be big!" He snapped out.

The Empire walker had no such warning however, and suffered the full might of an orbital laser strike. The walker itself was smashed face first into the pavement and superheated by the energy directed at it. The energy was so intense that even after the relatively brief contact with the laser, the walker's remains melted through the pavement, dirt, and steel that made up the underground bunker the machine had emerged from.

"All clear, Charlie-1" stated the voice.

"Thanks MJONLIR-A." Macduff took a few moments to calm himself before calling up to Colonel Able. "Eagle-1, Delta and SOP are collecting HVI's time now. Charlie has taken critical casualties, Eagle-2 is down. I say again, Eagle-2 is down…"

After the initial push through the shore defenses the soldiers of Bravo Company had run into virtually no resistance and had made their way to the FutureTech site quickly. Upon reaching the coordinates, Rane and his men began to check the immediate area for any kind of entrance hidden in the several warehouses that lay along the street. While the Javelin squads had taken up positions along the entire street which allowed them to cover multiple approach angles. The Peacekeepers' search was methodical and in less than 30 minutes they had located the labs entrance.

"Do we clear it now?" asked SGT Iler who, unable to contain his curiosity, had followed Rane to see what they had found.

"Negative, I had Staff Sergeant Elias from 2nd squad radio back to the Colonel. They're sending up the FutureTech rep as we speak." Replied Rane.

"1SG! The Athena Cannon has finally set up. We've got fire support now!" said SSG Elias suddenly over the coms.

"Roger that." said Rane, then paused as he noticed an odd sound in the air. "Anyone else hear that buzzing sound?"

Several men in the company had also heard the noise but were unable to identify its source. Whatever it was, it had most of the men on edge. One private made the obligatory joke regarding military intelligence failing again and was met with muted laughter. The night air had become warmer and a mist had began to fill the air limiting visibility to just a few hundred feet. The sky turned bright red at one point and suddenly the ambient temperature rose by a few degrees.

"Shit, Charlie must of run into something big to call in the Athena Cannon that close to their position." said Rane to no one in particular, noting the location of the resulting explosion.

Suddenly the warehouse across the street exploded into flames and from the wreckage shot out nearly 20 flying suits of stylized battle armor. Small pods mounted on the suit sides shot out micro-missiles that tore chunks out of the pavement and sent Peacekeepers diving for shelter.

"I knew this was too fucking easy!" growled Ran before shouting out orders. "Javelins knock them out of the sky! The rest of us will keep them busy!"

The battle was joined, Peacekeeper squads would jump from cover and take potshots at the flying armor distracting them long enough for the Javelins to get a lock-on and send them tumbling from the sky. One missile got a lucky hit and caused a sympathetic detonation in one suit's fuel tank sending chunks of steel and flesh raining down.

Quick though the suits were, they weren't quick enough to dodge the guided missiles fired at them and in less than a minute they were all neutralized. Rane walked up to one that hadn't been too badly mangled and took a closer look followed closely by the ever inquisitive SGT Iler.

"Too small to be a soldier…Maybe a robot?" said Iler thinking out loud.

"Only one way to find out." Replied Rane as he started to pry off the helmet. It came off with a hiss and Rane turned white when he finally saw the face of his enemy.

"Shit…" was all Iler could say.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Muttered Rane. "It's a kid…"

Years later, in interviews with history programs and various documentaries of the Third World War, Rane would always be asked if it was really true that the Empire sent children to fight in their war of conquest. Rane would go very quiet then answer with the same speech he had given every reporter after the Tokyo raid.

"They weren't children, not after what had happened to them. Five years of war in which they saw their parents leave and never return. Five years of hearing their god-on earth demanding loyalty. Five year of living in fear of the constant air raids that would tear their cities to pieces. Five years of seeing all that they knew and loved destroyed by a people they had never even met. When offered the choice to strike back at those people, how would you think a child would react? How do you think you or I would react? They wanted revenge, no matter the cost."

"By the time they were sent to fight us most of them were permanently insane. Taking one alive was near-impossible and even if we did capture one, the suits would automatically overdose them on chemical stims and fry their brains. No one was ever really able to find out what exactly the Rocket Angel process consisted of. Allied High Command had FutureTech classify any recovered Intel regarding the program."

_Tokyo Harbor, 2320 Local Time_

Rane looked at the forty Empire scientists that his company had surrounded in a warehouse. Rane had decided not to wait for the FutureTech Rep to arrive and had his men scour the place clean. A private on guard duty spat into the dirt in disgust.

"I'm guessing these sorry motherfuckers are the ones responsible for those kids we fought earlier." He growled loud enough for everyone to hear.

"It seems FutureTech just wants whatever it can get its hands on…and damn the cost!" Shouted Rane suddenly very angry.

The squeal of tires and thump of a drop ramp brought Rane's attention towards the rear of the warehouse where he could see several-dozen heavily armored men escorting a single women. It was Ms. Weaver. She stalked up towards the scientists then turned to Rane.

"I'd rather you hadn't gathered them up yet, my men here needed to practice their on-site interrogation skills. Still it seem they're mostly intact, thank you 1SG. My men will take over the site."

She motioned to one of her bodyguards and quietly whispered some instructions. The man shouldered a huge gun dripping with ice and motioned towards several others of his type towards the scientists. They were quickly rounded up and placed into transport vehicles while the rest of Ms. Weaver's escort began to head towards the lab.

"No intel from the lab itself? Or did you just not care to look?" queried the FutureTech Rep.

"Wouldn't know what to look for ma'am." said Rane very formally. He headed back to his troops before she could respond.

"1SG…you're just going to hand over this stuff to her? Look at this shit! They were using kids as fucking lab-rats!" SGT Iler was becoming hysterical.

"What do you want me to do? Kill them? Kill our own fucking side? Didn't you get enough of that when the President went insane?" snarled Rane.

"But…we can't just…"

"I know godammit!" Snapped Rane loudly enough to draw a glance from Ms. Weaver. "Give me a minute to think of something…"

The image of the red sky came to his mind unbidden and Rane suddenly realized what he could do.

"Call for fire." He said quietly to Iler.

"1SG?" Iler asked slightly confused.

"We've got the Athena Cannon. Get it to fire down on the lab before they can ransack it for whatever they're looking for." He raised a hand as Iler made to speak.

"Don't ask questions, if they ask about the coordinates tell them it's a priority target. Tell them whatever hit Charlie is about to tear us up. If that doesn't work then nothing will…" He grabbed Iler before the SGT made to leave. "Let the men know to move to cover while your at it. Quiet like, so the rep doesn't get suspicious."

Iler nodded and ran off to find the radio man while Rane started walking towards Ms. Weaver and her guards.

"Ma'am you might want to evacuate your men from the immediate area. We're about to get some incoming fire." He said calmly.

"What did you do?" She asked eyes narrowing.

"My men are being overrun by Empire forces and need immediate fire support. It seems that your lab happens to be exactly underneath where they're massing."

"So, you decide to grow a conscience did you 1SG? Never mind then, the lab notes are merely additional material we could have used to further our research. I have the researchers and they are what really matters. FutureTech's studies are only delayed." She turned to the bodyguard she had spoken to earlier.

"Captain, tell your men we are done here. I have what I want." She walked back to her transport followed soon after by her troopers. Rane looked up and noticed the sky had begun to turn red again. Noticing that Bravo Company had already made themselves scarce he went to do the same.

After the impact the men came out to survey the results. The crater was nearly 100 feet wide and the heat from the laser had caused the earth to literally melt. The inside was still glowing red.

"It won't stop them will it?" said the private Rane had spoken to earlier despondently.

"No…" Replied his first sergeant. "But its not so much about stopping them as it is doing what is right. What's the saying…"

"Evil prevails when good men do nothing?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Now get back to your squad, I need to coordinate with the Colonel."

"SGT Iler! I need the radio!" Rane radioed over the coms.

"Already done, the Colonel wants to speak with you. Urgent."

Rane took the signal from his SGT and spoke.

"Eagle-1 this is Bravo-L, over."

"Bravo-J this is Eagle-1, as of 5minutes ago Allied High Command declared the Tokyo invasion untenable. Its being called a disaster."

"How bad Eagle-1?"

"Bad. Allied forces on the mainland have been pushed back to the shoreline. Eight of our fifteen battalions have called in a _Broken Arrow_. High Command is going to bomb the whole city. "

"Are they fucking insane? There's way too many civilians! Hell the only reason the attack was agreed to in the first place was due to it being a quick in and out!"

"Not my call Bravo-L. I'm just relaying the message, you're about to get a whole lot more company on your island. Get a patch set up for your men and bunker down…acknowledge."

Rane was too furious to respond.

"Bravo-L! I hate this as much as you but I don't have time for this bullshit! Do you ACK?" The Colonel's sudden outburst snapped him out of his rage.

"Eagle-1, Bravo-L ACK! Out." Rane tossed Iler the speaker without waiting for a response. Somewhere out over the ocean the end came for Tokyo.

It would be the largest Allied bombing run in the entire war. Seven squadrons of B2-X Century bombers had been stationed in several airbases scattered across the Pacific. When the initial ground assault began, they were immediately launched and placed on standby barely 50 miles away from Tokyo. One-hundred and thirty-six aircraft (each with a payload of 170,000 lbs) awaited the go ahead to drop their ordnance.

It was given at 0045 local time.

Thousands screamed in terror.

And the 1ST Allied Army watched as a city died.

_Tokyo Harbor, Charlie Company Encampment: 0435 Local Time_

Rane wandered the Allied encampment that had been established after the razing of Tokyo, his mood dark and bleak. He had heard the news about Brigham and was wandering the camp to find Macduff. He eventually found him by his tank using its bulk to shield him form the winds caused by the firestorm that was consuming the former capital of the Empire of the Rising Sun.

"I'm writing the letter to his family. Figured since I was his friend I should let them know myself…" Sighed Macduff as he stared down at a battered notepad he had acquired from an abandoned supply store.

"Never really expected him to die you know? I always thought he'd outlive us all." He continued.

Rane didn't interrupt, he was too physically and emotionally exhausted from the days events to say anything. Macudff look up and nodded his head in mute understanding.

"Best let you get back to your men and get some sleep I have a feeling that the next few weeks will be busy." He returned to his notepad and resumed writing.

"I'll bring it by later, let you add something too." He said without looking up.

But Rane had already passed from earshot and had made his way back to his own tent where a nervous SGT Iler was waiting outside.

"1SG, Colonel Able wants all company commanders at his tent ASAP. It seems the Soviets have broken the cease-fire, the Commander is going to give a live update on the situation."

Rane shook his head and whispered quietly to himself "Evil prevails…"

"What was that 1SG?"

"Nothing Iler…nothing." said Rane suddenly feeling very tired. "I'll be there. You go get some sleep. God knows you're going to need it."

_Looked like the Peacekeepers were going to fight another day after all._


	5. Leningrad

**Peacekeepers: The Moon Shall Never Have Them**

_Palace Square, Leningrad: 1554 Local Time_

"INCOMING!" hollered Staff Sergeant Ellias as he spotted the rapidly approaching air-to-surface rockets.

In response the 68 survivors of Bravo Company, 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion, 1st Allied Army buried their heads in the broken stone and mortar of the structure they had hidden in and waited. Several large explosion blasted new craters into the city of Leningrad and toppled several less structurally sound buildings. Clouds of dust drifted across Bravo's position momentarily hiding them from the ire of the Soviet Twinblade that had been hunting them.

"Now! Hit it while its blinded!" Shouted Ellias.

Several Javelin missiles shot up at the circling helicopter, catching its pilot by surprise. The vehicle jerked to one side wildly in an effort to throw off the targeting sensors of the Allied launchers but failed to dodge them all. One Javelin detonated on the helicopter's tail and tore it off with a shriek sending the Twinblade spiraling towards the ground. It smashed into pavement, bouncing several times before crashing into the river.

"Goddamn but I love killing Reds!" Cheered Ellias as he watched the Twinblade quickly sink below the water.

"Too bad Top isn't here to kill 'em with us..." muttered a soldier that had walked up next to him. Ellias didn't recognize the soldier at first (covered as he was in dust and grime), but then he raised his visor and Ellias recognized the large glasses and dark complexion of Sergeant Iler.

"Yeah, I wish we had Rane here too. At the very least we could have watched him fight with that dog of his...Rolf was it?"

A quick grin flashed over Iler's face as he recalled the constant conflicts between Bravo company's former First Sergeant and one of the more memorable cy-dogs assigned to the unit.

"That dog did know how to set him off didn't it. Too bad they both went down in that crash. They should've been here to see the war's end." sighed Iler.

Ellias waited until the last of the Twinblade had disappeared under the waves before answering.

"They should have. But that just gives us one more reason to make the Soviets pay. Now…" He stopped as the unmistakable rumble of heavy armor echoed down the street.

"Is there any of our armor assigned to this area?" He asked Iler quickly.

The Javelin NCO shut his visor and readied his launcher as a response. Ellias nodded then sprinted back to the soldiers still in hiding.

"Get ready for a fight! We've got approaching Soviet armor units! Configuration unknown! Get good overlapping fields of fire and get hidden. This is going to be rough!" He sent over the com.

_Shit. _Thought Ellias as he readied his weapon. _Guess we're going to make the Soviets pay a little earlier than I hoped…_

_3 Months Earlier, Tokyo Harbor: 0445 Local Time_

It was snowing in Tokyo.

Rane had been fighting in the Pacific for so long he had almost forgotten what snow looked like. He paused and let the white powder accumulate before shaking it off and heading towards Colonel Able's tent. Inside the various commanders of the 1st Allied Army gathered around a large screen and waited for the Commander to address them. All of them had heard the intel that the Soviets had broken the Cease-Fire and the tension was thick enough to stifle any attempts at conversation. Instead, the soldiers stood around nervously fidgeting and glancing at watches while the hum of generators could be heard in the distance.

Suddenly the screen burst into life and the Commander's visage came slowly into view. He was as usual, surrounded by maps and computer screens. The dull light from them providing the only illumination on his end. For the Pacific Campaign, the Commander had his HQ moved to the Drone Carrier _USS Roosevelt_ and behind him the men could see the silhouettes of the bridge crew moving about their business.

He turned to face the screen and the men in the tent could see that his face was covered by a data visor that transmitted battlefield intel directly to him as it happened.

"Gentlemen." He began as several intel reports flashed up on the screen. "As you may have heard already, the Soviets have broken the Cease-Fire agreement. High Command confirmed this at 1451 Zulu yesterday."

A low growl sounded from those assembled, Colonel Able leaned over to Rane and muttered "I knew we should have never trusted the fucking Reds…"

The Commander raised a hand to silence them, and then continued. "Using civilian cargo ships, the Soviets were able to smuggle several high-yield warheads into Cuba which they intended to use on major U.S. cities in the area."

"When do we hit them Commander!" Shouted a voice from the back.

"We don't." He replied calmly. A protest arose which was promptly cut off. "Commander Giles has been assigned to deal with the threat."

This information mollified those present, as most regarded the eccentric British Commander with respect, a feeling further reinforced by his friendship with their commander.

"We will not be joining in that mission, because for the next few weeks we will be rebuilding our forces for an assault on the Soviet capital."

The commander paused as he let that information sink in. "We will strike at the Premier himself."

At this the men assembled roared their approval. The past few years spent fighting the Empire had been difficult at best. An enemy that refused to surrender and whose non-combatants committed suicide rather than admit defeat had taken a toll on the minds of the soldiers. A fight against the old foe of Communism seemed like a chance to do what many of them had joined up to do: preserve the free world.

The Commander grinned at their enthusiasm. "Commander Lissette will be taking over operations in the Pacific Theater while we ready ourselves. We'll be garrisoned at Hawaii until we receive our full orders."

Another roar of approval greeted his words.

"Now that you know what you're working for, I expect that every one of you will have your units ready to move when the time comes. Dismissed." The commander disappeared as his end of the transmission shut off. The men dispossessed back to their units immediately to spread the news. Rane and Macduff walked slowly back to the 1-01's area as the snow continued to drift down.

"I almost forgot what snow looked like. It's been nearly 6 years since I was in Alaska." Rane observed idly.

Macduff stopped suddenly and looked at Rane: "What brought on that memory?" he asked.

"The snow here." Rane said as he gestured at the sky.

Macduff paused and looked concerned. "You've been up to long. There's no snow."

"Then what the hell is this?" Rane bent down to pick up a handful of the white powder coating the ground before realizing that it wasn't melting in his hand.

The tank commander pointed towards the inferno that was Tokyo. "It's ash."

"Jesus Christ…" swore Rane softly.

_Palace Square, Leningrad: 1600 Local Time _

The familiar rumble of tank treads brought Ellias' attention to the street directly to his south where the glimpse of red alerted him to the presence of Soviet Conscripts. They advanced slowly, covering and securing the street building by building before moving forward.

"Fuck, looks like we'll have to hit them earlier than I planned." He whispered to himself.

"Bravo." He spoke over the com. "Wait till they clear the next to last building then hit them. I don't want a horde of Conscripts pouring into our defenses."

The other squad leaders replied with an affirmative while Ellias crept over to Iler's position.

"Must have heard the chopper shooting and came to investigate." muttered Iler.

"Yeah, well let's just hope the tanks decide not to follow their infantry. I don't think we have enough firepower to deal with any more Apocalypse tanks."

Iler grunted as he looked outside. "It's game time."

The first of the Soviet squads had entered the ambush and the Peacekeepers wasted no time in cutting them down. Heavy shotgun shells tore through the unprotected conscripts and turned the street red with gore. Surprise was on the Allies side and they slowly drove the Soviet infantry back.

Then the tanks arrived.

Two shells buried themselves deep inside the building across the street from Ellias and a second later reduced it to rubble. Second squad had just been annihilated because an Apocalypse tank had entered the fray.

"SHIT!" Yelled Iler.

"Pull back! We can't hurt that thing!" commanded Ellias as he felt his stomach drop.

The monster fired again and this time it targeted Ellias' building. The rounds passed straight through the building and exploded on the other side filling the structure with dust and smoke.

"Let's go!" shouted Ellias as he yanked on Iler's arm. To his horror it came off and Ellias realized that his friend's head was missing. He sat down in shock, oblivious to the cries of his men as they retreated from the impossible fight.

The Apocalypse tank stopped with a sudden lurch and began to traverse its turret to the rear. Beams of light darted through the air to tear at the Soviet Tank and chunks of armor melted and sloughed of its sides. The Apocalypse Tank began firing at in different directions trying to hit something, anything. But it was not enough; five beams impacted into the center of the turret and melted their way through causing the ammunition inside to explode. After the last of the Soviets were driven off, the scattered men of Bravo Company began to make their way to the wreckage but were unable to locate the origin of the counter fire.

Ellias made his way to the front where he began to have the men spread out to cover in case of another attack. Suddenly the air in front of him began to shift and change. As he watched, a bizarre looking tank emerged out of nothing. There was no gun on it at least as far as Ellias could see, just two large emitters mounted on the side and on the top of the vehicle was a figure in full Peacekeeper uniform.

The figure jumped off the tank and walked towards Ellias.

"What unit are you with?" he managed to croak out.

"Bravo Company 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion." Replied Rane with a grin as he lifted up his visor.

"1SG! How the fuck did you survive?" said Ellias as he watched his dead commander walk towards him.

"I'll tell you in a minute. But first, I need to know the disposition of the men. We have a war to win."

_1 Month Earlier, Pustosha: 1231 Local Time_

The Allies had done it. A combined force of 450,000 soldiers had met the 1.2 million men of the Soviet Union in battle and routed them. In the four day battle that had stretched from the capital to the town of Ostrova the Allies had attacked, fallen back, retreated, and feinted until the mighty Red Army was scattered and broken. It had not been a victory without loss, however, 135,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle. But the victory was not complete, during the engagement the Premier had managed to escape to his command bunker in Leningrad with roughly a tenth of his remaining army. So once again the 1st Allied Army would go on the march.

The 1-01 Combined Arms Allied Battalion had suffered losses of its own; Delta Company had been nearly wiped out holding back an attack by Soviet armor, while Alpha, Bravo, and Fox were at almost half strength. Somehow though, Charlie Company had only one wounded in the four days of fighting.

On the first day of the fight, a tank shell had had hit but failed to detonate after impacting the _Empress Matilda_, the shock of the impact had knocked around pieces of equipment and crushed the leg of the unfortunate tank commander. Refusing to leave the field until the engagement had been decided, the commander had instead relied on mild doses of painkillers to numb the pain while he fought. When he had finally allowed himself to be removed from the tank at the end of the fourth day, the attending medic realized the leg had become infected and sent the man straight to the rear for treatment.

"This is some serious bullshit." growled Macduff as he tried to get more comfortable in the hospital bed.

"Its war for fucks sake. All you get is bullshit." replied Rane as he tried to lighten his friend's mood.

"They 're sending me to fucking Heidelberg for "better treatment" while the rest of you sorry fuckers get finish this damn war up!" Growled Macduff.

"Eh, I can imagine a few worse ways you could miss out on the end." replied Rane.

Macduff flinched at that response. "The 1-01 lost a lot of men didn't we…"

" Nearly 65 % killed or wounded. High Command won't disband us though; as the first Allied Army unit formed we're too much of a symbol to get rid of." sighed Rane.

"So what's going to happen?"

"The survivors of 9-34rd Infantry Regiment and 19th Support Brigade will be added to our rolls. They'll bring us up to nearly 85% strength."

They talked for a few minutes more, Rane about the upcoming airlift to Leningrad to capture the Premier while Macduff revealed that his "acquaintance" in the Indian Air Force, Darika Pilot, would be in Heidelberg when he arrived. A quick joke was shared then Rane (unable to put off work any longer) excused himself.

"See ya when this is all over Mac." Said Rane as he walked out of the ward.

"Kill some Reds for me Yank!" Shouted Macduff after him.

Macduff would transfer to Hiedelberg where doctors determined his infection was too far gone to cure and so removed his leg. Discharged as a Colonel by the War's end, Macduff would eventually marry Darika and settle down in a house not far from where he had first met Rane.

He would never see the Javelin soldier again.

_3 Weeks Later, Near M-10: 1052 Local Time_

Explosions sent shards of super-heated metal screaming through the formation of Century transports. One shook as its right side engines were torn apart, seconds later the fuel ignited and the craft plummeted towards the ground turning the ground below into an inferno.

In a last ditch effort to delay the final Allied advance towards Leningrad the Soviets had launched the last of their air-superiority fighters at the approaching Allied air fleet. 103 MiGs engaged 430 Apollo fighters and 205 Century bombers carrying 2/3 of the Allied Army in Europe. The engagement was decided before it began, but as the pilots of the slower Century Transports would later report; it was not an easy victory.

The cluster missiles used by the MiGs tore the carefully planned formations of the Allies to pieces, several aircraft were sent spiraling into each other killing whole companies before they even had a chance to evacuate. Burning chunks of aircraft fell from the sky causing debris hazards that would cause the Allied Armor columns that would support the infantry to be delayed by several hours.

For 1SG Rane it was nearly the last plane ride in his life. A lucky shot from a MiG sent a cluster missile directly into the cockpit. The pilots were incinerated, and white-hot metal was sent screeching into the passenger compartment. Those men of Bravo Company 1-01 CAAB that had been in the plane were ripped to shreds. Almost 50% of the company was killed in one shot.

Rane had been at the back, inspecting pallets of foodstuffs and shelters when the missile hit. He was thrown into the side of the aircraft as the missiles impact shook the plane like a toy. The shock of an explosion sent him slamming into the foodstuffs. If not for his helmet Rane's head would have burst open. The impact left him dazed and as he tried and failed to maintain consciousness, Rane could hear the cy-dog Rolf howling in despair.

_25 minutes Later, Century Wreckage: 1107 Local Time_

Rane staggered out of the crash before the spreading mess of burning jet fuel consumed him. Above him the battle raged still; Allied Apollo fighters spat golden streams of death at the Soviet MiGs before they could unleash their payload against the transports. The Soviet pilots had lost the element of surprise and were discovering the hard way why the Allied flight school in Hatzerim Air Base produced the finest pilots in the world. Still, there were enough shots fired that several transports were downed. As he looked at the sky, Rane could see one transport disintegrate into burning wreckage.

The sound of whimpering brought Rane's attention to a shattered bush nearby. Further exploration revealed the source of the noise was Rolf. The cy-dog had been badly burned and his right side and face had melted into an unrecognizable pink and black mass. A part of the engine had landed on Rolf's back and Able could clearly see that the dog was not going to make it. Sensing his presence, the blinded dog cried aloud and tried to drag itself forward with its last good leg.

Rane walked forward quickly and put his hand on Rolf's head trying to calm him. He reached for the combat knife that was somehow still attached to his side and brought it down to the dog's neck. Suddenly Rolf stiffened and let loose a full-blown howl. The cybernetics grafted into Rolf amplified the noise to a level potentially lethal. Rane was blasted into a tree, while the approaching Soviet Conscripts (Suffering the full effects of the blast) flew back several feet.

Recovering faster than the Soviets, Rane threw his knife into the throat of the closest conscript. The man twisted as he fell and the blood that jetted from his wound blinded the man next to him. The conscript cleared his eyes in time to see the buttstock of an AK-74 headed straight for his face.

Rane didn't wait to see the conscript hit the ground; instead he turned his weapon on the last two men gunning them down without pause. He checked his ammo before looking back at Rolf. A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and Rane realized that the effort of the howl had killed him.

"Faithful to the end soldier." said Rane as he slung his rifle and headed towards the nearby M-10. An Allied Armor column was due to pass by in a few hours and Rane did not intend to walk to Leningrad.

_Palace Square, Leningrad: 1645 Local Time _

"Jesus fucking Christ…" whispered Ellias in shock as Rane finished his story. "It's a good thing Colonel Able decided to divvy up each company between two aircraft."

"Yep." Was all Rane said on the matter. 1SG Rane was not an unfeeling man, and the loss of half his company saddened him to a degree that verged on depression. But there was a war to be won, and after fighting for nearly 7 years Rane would not allow himself to lose sight of the objective. To give in to despair now would be a disservice to those who had fallen.

"So who's in command of the fancy new armor?" queried Ellias.

"That would be Hauptmann Antje Prüter. She's with the 7-23rd CAAB. Her unit was the one that picked me up after they found me wandering along the highway." He pointed at a taller women in a jumpsuit and communications helmet sat on top of one of the new Mirage tanks created by FutureTech.

She noticed Rane, and blew him a kiss laughing as she did so. Ellias burst out laughing at his 1SG's sudden red face and was rewarded with his efforts with a look that could kill.

"Goddamn, I guess you and the Hauptmann got acquainted while you were traveling up here!" Chuckled Ellias.

"Shut up Ellias." Muttered Rane.

Ellias grinned in response and was about to make a comment that would have gotten him throttled when the com system operator for Bravo Company ran up.

"1SG! Its Colonel Able, he's got new instructions for us. He wants to talk to you ASAP!" said the operator.

"Patch him in." Said Rane. "Eagle-1 this is Bravo-L, over."

"Roger Bravo-L, glad to see you're still with us."

"A lot of good men didn't make it Eagle-1."

"They'll get their due, Bravo-L. I'll make sure of it. But right now I have new commands to put out. Comes straight from High Command."

Rane perked up at that. "Ready to receive Eagle-1"

"Time now all offensive operations against the Soviet Forces are to cease. You will head towards the Winter Palace and link up with the 12th Engineer Battalion to provide support in their operation, over."

"What OP is that Eagle-1?"

"A classified OP, Bravo-L." Admonished Able. "But suffice it to say that the defenses on the Peter and Paul Fortress where the Premier is hiding are too tough for our conventional weaponry. Allied High Command has had our scientists cook up something big to crack it open."

"Roger Eagle-1, understood. Bravo-L out." Replied Rane.

"Keep your head down, Bravo-L. Eagle-1 out."

Rane stood up slowly and stretched his back out. He turned to face the armor before looking back at Ellias. "Get the men ready to move out in 10 minutes, we're heading to the Winter Palace to watch a bunch of engineers. I'll go let the Hauptmann know if she doesn't already. Get ready Ellias, the war is about to end."

With that, Rane strode off to the nearby armor before Ellias could get out a word.

_2 Hours Later, The Winter Palace: 1859 Local Time_

It had only taken the men of Bravo 1-01 and the accompanying tanks of the 7-23rd 30 minutes to reach the Winter Palace but the engineers had taken twice that to set up their monitoring equipment. All sorts of antenna and satellite dishes poked up from the rubble that used to be the Winter Palace.

"It's a wonder the fucking Reds haven't tried to take a few potshots at us." Grumbled Ellias as he surveyed the equipment.

"There's too many of our birds in the air for them to risk poking their heads out." Rane answered only partially paying attention to his subordinate. His attention was focused instead on the bizarre sight that dominated the Peter and Paul Fortress.

A huge crane suspended what looked to be the biggest rocket Rane had ever seen. It was at least 20 times the size of a Soviet Dreadnaught's V4 rocket and likely 20 times as powerful too. But what was most puzzling about the contraption was the large aircraft that had been attached to it. Rane had asked around and several engineers had assured him that it was not aerodynamic and was unlikely to even fly. So Rane was completely lost as to what the Premier hoped to accomplish with the strange craft.

Just then a huge burst static echoed through the com net causing everyone to grab their heads in a futile attempt to cut off the noise. Seconds later Rane heard the voice of the Soviet Premier for the first time in the entire war.

"Commander! You've rained on my glorious parade! For this, I'm sending everything I've got at you, but I won't let you have the satisfaction of catching me. I'm escaping to the one place that hasn't been corrupted by capitalism...SPACE!"

"Is he completely fucking nuts?" Said Ellias over the com.

"He must be, thinking that he can reach the Commander over the ground network. And he's even crazier if he thinks that giant fucking tin can is going to do anything but explode when he tries to launch it." Replied Rane.

One of the engineers that had been working on the arrays walked over and pointed out some cover to the 1SG.

"We just got word that the event is about to happen 1SG. Best get you men to cover; it's going to be big."

"All units take cover!" Rane barked over the com.

Blue uniformed soldiers scattered at the command and dove for cover in the nearby ruins of the Winter Palace. The armor that could move hid behind the palace while the rest closed hatches and hunkered down where they were.

Several minutes passed and Rane began to fear something had gone wrong when he felt a prickling sensation all over his body. He shifted to get more comfortable and was rewarded with a massive shock that made him jolt in pain.

"Careful 1SG..." muttered an engineer next to him. "All that static buildup means they've fired the weapon. Don't move until after it hits, it'll keep you from suffering another nasty jolt."

Rane didn't answer because at that very moment he spotted five bolts of energy streaking across the sky. They were bigger and far more menacing than anything that he had seen the Empire forces use. If the Empire's weapons were comparable to elegant swords designed to cut the enemy apart then surely these creations of the Allied forces were a hammer meant to utterly obliterate any resistance.

The path of the bolts swerved unerringly towards the Premier's mad construction emerging from the broken remnants of the Peter and Paul Cathedral. Rane instinctively closed his eyes and ducked his head as the bolts impacted into the fortress. Those soldiers who were unfortunate enough to remain staring at the fortress had the pure white flash burned into their retinas for the rest of their lives. But that was it, a single massive flash. There was no sound, no crash of collapsing construction. One second a there was a fortress and the next there was nothing, just a flattened area where the fortress had once stood.

The Allied soldiers stood slowly, unsure of what had just happened. Then one by one they began to cheer. Eighty-five thousand Allied soldiers screamed their victory into the sky, the sound of which could be heard as far away as London.

For the Soviet survivors (stunned and directionless without leadership) the noise was more terrifying than anything else they had heard in the war. Within an hour of the fortress' destruction nearly all had surrendered, the rest would flee into the surrounding countryside. The mass of prisoners was so great that it would take Allied High Command several weeks to process them all.

In his mobile HQ the Commander of the 1st Allied Army accepted the cheers and congratulations of his staff as the surviving Soviet Commander radioed in his unconditional surrender. He turned to an aide with instructions to inform Allied High Command when Lt Eva leapt into his arms and knocked him into his private quarters. The Commander took one look at his intelligence officer then quickly closed the door leaving a very bemused aide with no orders.

"I'll ask him when he's not so busy." He thought before heading back to the rest of the celebrating staff section.

Rane stood surrounded by the men of the 1-01 as they laughed and cheered and cried with joy. He surveyed the island from which the Soviets had threatened to overrun the free world and he laughed for the first time in months. Sergeant Ellias ran up to him with a quick message from the 7-23rd CAAB.

"1SG!" He radioed over the coms as he handed Rane a memo. (The cheering was too loud for anything else). "Hauptmann Antje Prüter requests that your presence after you've finished your business with HQ. She's already cleared it through our chain of command."

Rane snatched the note from Ellias and read it quickly before returning his attention to Ellias.

"I swear to God, if you have a fucking grin on your face Ellias, I will drop-kick you where you stand." He snarled, only half-serious.

"Never 1SG." replied Ellias before he turned back towards the near riotous mass that was 1-01's B Co. As he made his way through the crowd he suddenly stopped and turned back towards Rane.

"Heya men!" He hollered over the company coms. "Looks like the Peacekeepers are going to have to fight another day after all! 1SG Rane has gotta date with the Hauptmann!"

The men's cheers drowned out Rane's bust of profanity and in the end he realized the futility of denial and joined in the festivity. And why not? The Premier was dead.

Long live the Allies.

**The End**


	6. Epilogue

**Peacekeepers: Epilogue **

_Outskirts of Leningrad, Former Soviet Command Bunker: 2231 Local Time_

Dasha's face was wet, not from the rain that had begun to fall less than an hour before, but from the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. Around her the world fell apart and all she could do was watch: she had never felt so helpless in her life. She had been an aide to the greatest Soviet Commander in history but due to political infighting and betrayal all his strategies had been ruined. The Premier's assassin had shot him seconds before the Allied bombers had struck. The bunker had been unable to stand up to the bombardment and when the roof had collapsed on the command staff, the last of the Red Army's command structure had collapsed with it.

She cradled the commander's head in her lap and wept. She wept for the loss of a great leader. She wept for the humiliation that would soon be heaped upon her conquered homeland. And she wept for the cruel fate that allowed her to survive and watch as everything she had believed in died around her.

The sound of engines interrupted her thoughts and she realized that the Allied forces would soon be combing the place over searching for any personnel or intel that survived the explosions. She stood up shakily, and grabbed the battered pistol that was still holstered on her commander's corpse. A discarded file lay next to a table obliterated by reinforced concrete. She picked it up and paused as she realized what she had found; call signs for the scattered Red Army Spec-Ops units that her Commander had scattered throughout the Soviet Union after Moscow fell.

The Allied Peacekeepers burst into the ruins minutes later but Dasha had already fled. Her plan was set, gather the remains of the Red Army and resist the Allied occupation as best she could. She would fight for her fallen commander, her motherland, and one day…restore the Soviet Union.


End file.
